RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Rapid City Rush exploded for four goals in the second period, Matt Marcinew had a hat trick and the Rush beat the Kansas City Mavericks 7-5 on Saturday night at The Monument Ice Arena.
With the Rush trailing 2-0 early in the second, Simon Lavigne took a wrist shot from the blue line. Calder Brooks deflected the shot in front of the net and it bounced past Shane Starrett, cutting the deficit to one.
They then tied the game minutes later after Alex Aleardi forced a turnover in the attacking zone. He nudged the puck to Ilya Nikolaev who fed it back to Aleardi for a wrist shot in front of the net. It beat Starrett on the glove side and the game was tied at two.
Rapid City would take the lead after Marcinew was sprung down the right wing. He sent a snap shot on net that Starrett got a piece of but the puck bounced over the line and the Rush led 3-2.
That lead grew late in the second when Brett Gravelle got loose in the high slot. He let go a wrist shot that beat Starrett low on the blocker side. Gravelle’s first of the year made it 4-2.
Kansas City got one back after Nick Pastujov netted a power play goal. But Marcinew took control in the third period to give the Rush some breathing room. First, Aleardi burst out of the penalty box following a successful penalty kill and tracked the puck down at the left wing. He sent a pass to the trailing Marcinew who buried a top-shelf wrister and it was 5-3.
Then, with the Rush on the power play, Rory Kerins hit Marcinew streaking on the back door. He one-timed the puck through Starrett’s legs, giving him the hat trick and extending the Rush lead to 6-3.
Kansas City brought itself within one thanks to a pair of Jeremy McKenna goals but the Rush sealed the deal when Logan Nelson found a puck in the neutral zone and skated in on an empty net. He tucked it home and the Rush pushed the score to its 7-5 final.
The Mavericks took their 2-0 lead on first period goals from Cole Coskey and Loren Ulett.
Marcinew’s hat trick was Rapid City’s first since Max Coatta on November 12, 2021, Kerins had three assists and Nelson, Brooks and Aleardi each had a goal and an assist. The Rush improved to 8-8-0-0 in the win while Kansas City moved to 8-5-1-0.
Because the Rush scored six or more goals, all fans in attendance can get free admission to Watiki Indoor Water Park Resort. They can do so by showing their game ticket from Saturday’s game any day from November 27 – December 3.
Rapid City will now hit the road for three games next week against the Allen Americans. It begins on Friday night and puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center.
