RAPID CITY, S.D. – Myles McGurty scored his first goal as a pro from just inside the offensive blue line with 1:48 left in regulation, and Ivan Prosvetov earned his first professional shutout on 30 saves to power the Rapid City Rush to a 1-0 win over the Idaho Steelheads on Saturday night. The win gives the Rush a sweep of the Steelheads in the three-game series, and puts them in a share of first place in the entire ECHL with the division rival Allen Americans.
For a second game in a row, both teams were scoreless after 20 minutes of play. The trend, however, carried over two periods, setting the table for a final period showdown of wills. Rush net-minder Ivan Prosvetov, making his team debut following four AHL games in Tucson, stopped 25 shots through the first two periods, while Idaho’s Colton Point staved off 12 in the same time span.
The deadlock didn’t break until the final two minutes of regulation when Myles McGurty hit pay-dirt for the first time in his professional career. With 1:48 left in the game, Dexter Dancs and Tyler Coulter worked the puck from behind the goal line, up the near wall, and to McGurty at the blue line. McGurty threw a changeup through traffic that beat Point over his blocker shoulder, giving the Rush a 1-0 lead (Coulter and Dancs assisted). The Rush, and Prosvetov, held on in the final minute as Idaho pulled Point for the extra-attacker, and finished the sweep of the three-game series with the narrow 1-0 win.
Ivan Prosvetov, making his Rush debut following his assignment from Tucson, earned the win and his first career shutout with 30 saves (1-0-0-0).
The Rush head back on the road for a three-game trip that takes them through three Mountain Division rivals, beginning with the Wichita Thunder on Wednesday, November 13th. Puck drop at INTRUST Bank Arena is slated for 6:05 p.m. MST.
