ALLEN, Tex. – The Rapid City Rush erupted for five goals in the third period as they came from behind and beat the Allen Americans in Game 5, 6-3, Saturday night at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. With the win, the Rush took the best-of-seven series, 4-1, and advanced to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
With the Rush trailing, 2-1, in the first minute of the third period, Alec Butcher sent a backhander in front that bounced off the side of the net and rolled to the top of the crease. Stephen Baylis pounced on it and banged the loose puck past Frank Marotte, tying the game at two.
Two minutes later, with the Rush skating with a 5-on-3 power play, Logan Nelson carried the puck from the right wing to the left wing circle. He flicked a wrist shot from that circle that got through Marotte on the short side, giving Rapid City its first lead of the game, 3-2.
Allen evened the score later in the third just seconds after a Rush penalty expired. Spencer Asuchak fired a shot that Lukas Parik stopped but the rebound bounced to Colby McAuley, who kicked it to his forehand and flicked the puck into the net to tie the score at three.
Late in the third, with just over two minutes to play in regulation, Colton Leiter nudged a loose puck toward the blue line where Gabe Chabot stepped into a slap shot. His shot blasted through traffic and beat Marotte top shelf, putting the Rush ahead for good.
The Americans then pulled Marotte for an extra attacker and it took just seconds for Calder Brooks to force a turnover and bury an empty-net goal from the neutral zone. Rapid City would add one more, Avery Peterson fed Max Coatta for an empty-net blast with just nine seconds to play in the game, which pushed the score to its 6-3 final.
Allen took its lead with a goal from Chad Butcher in the first period and a power play blast by Kris Myllari in the second. The Rush scored their first goal in the second period when Leiter fired a wrist shot from the left circle that leaked through Marotte’s glove side.
Six different skaters scored for Rapid City and Brooks and Leiter led the way with a goal and an assist each. Parik stopped 25 of the 28 shots in net to backstop the Rush to the win.
Rapid City won the best-of-seven series, 4-1, and now awaits the winner of the Utah Grizzlies and Tulsa Oilers first-round series. Utah currently leads it, 3-2, and Game 6 is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on Monday night in West Valley City. The schedule for the Rush’s second-round series will be announced after their opponent is determined.
