ALLEN, Texas – Logan Nelson scored twice, Adam Carlson made 25 saves and the Rapid City Rush beat the Allen Americans 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. The Rush won their fourth consecutive game and for the seventh time in their past eight.
Allen opened the scoring in the first period when Jackson Leppard carried the puck down the left wing and hit Aidan Brown on the back side. Brown snuck a shot past the lunging Carlson and the Americans took a 1-0 lead.
Rapid City tied the score in the opening minute of the second period. Brett Gravelle fed Nelson for a one-timer from the left circle that he blasted past Logan Flodell, evening it up at one.
The Rush would take the lead late in the second on Nelson’s second of the game. Kenton Helgesen flipped a puck high through the air from his own zone and Nelson sped after it from the right wing. He snuck behind the defense, grabbed the puck and flipped a shot past Flodell’s glove, putting the Rush on top 2-1.
In the third, Alex Aleardi sprung Ilya Nikolaev down the right wing and the Rush gained the zone with an odd-man rush. Nikolaev loaded up a snap shot that beat Flodell high and the lead grew to 3-1.
Allen brought itself back within one later in the final period though when Hank Crone found himself loose at the right circle. Crone fired a wrist shot through Carlson on the blocker side and the score was 3-2.
That would be all the Americans could manage, however, as the Rush held on until the clock hit zeroes and won the game 3-2. The win pushed Rapid City’s winning streak to a season-best four games.
Nelson recorded his first multi-goal game of the season and Carlson earned his first win in net this year as the Rush improved their record to 11-8-0-0. Allen dropped its sixth consecutive game and fell to 5-11-1-0.
The Rush will now return home for three games against the Wichita Thunder. It begins on Thursday with the first Thirsty Thursday of the season. During the game, all 16-ounce domestic beer and seltzer cans will be $3.50 and puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.
