RAPID CITY, S.D. – Alex Aleardi scored his first goal with the Rush, Matt Marcinew had a goal and an assist and Daniil Chechelev made 32 saves as the Rapid City Rush beat the Idaho Steelheads 4-2, Wednesday night at The Monument Ice Arena. The Rush snapped a four-game losing streak with the win.
Rapid City opened the scoring early in the first period. Aleardi poked the puck loose at the Rush blue line and charged into the attacking zone. He let loose a snap shot that beat Jake Kupsky on the blocker side and the Rush took a 1-0 lead.
Idaho answered in the second when A.J. White gained the zone and snapped a pass to the charging Zane Franklin on the back door. Franklin chipped a shot over Chechelev’s shoulder, evening the score at one.
The Rush regained the lead later in the second when Calder Brooks weaved into the attacking zone and stickhandled his way toward the front of the net. He deked from his backhand to his forehand, then back to his backhand and to his forehand again for a shot that he slid past the outstretched pad of Kupsky to put the Rush on top.
A few minutes later, Marcinew sent a pass to the slot for a one-time attempt that Zach Court could not get off clean. Court tracked down the loose puck in the right corner then fed a pass back to Max Coatta inside the right circle. Coatta slammed a slap shot top shelf past Kupsky and the lead grew to 3-1.
Idaho got itself back within one in the first minute of the third period with a power play strike. After a failed Rush clear attempt, White teed up Ryan Dmowski for a one-timer from the right circle that trickled over the goal line, making the score 3-2.
The Steelheads pulled Kupsky for an extra attacker in the final minutes of the third and swarmed the Rapid City end, peppering Chechelev with shots. He made every save and eventually, with less than 10 seconds remaining, Marcinew grabbed a loose puck in his own zone and flung it down the ice. It sailed into the empty net, pushing the score to its 4-2 final.
Brooks and Coatta each netted their second goal of the season and Chechelev made 32 saves in net for the win. Rapid City improved its record to 3-5-0-0 and snapped a four-game losing streak with the victory. Idaho dropped to 6-2-0-0 in the loss.
The Rush and Steelheads will meet again on Friday night in Rapid City. It’s Veteran’s Appreciation Night, sponsored by Rapid City Orthodontics, and puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.
