ALLEN, Texas – Logan Nelson had a goal and an assist, Brett Gravelle and Stephen Baylis each recorded two assists and Lukas Parik made 31 saves as the Rapid City Rush cruised past the Allen Americans, 4-1, in Game 4 on Friday night at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. Rapid City extended its lead to 3-1 in the best-of-seven series with the win.
Allen opened the scoring in the first period as Ben Carroll carried the puck to the top of the left circle. He snapped a shot on net that snuck past Parik on the glove side, giving Allen a 1-0 lead.
The Rush answered quickly, however, as four minutes later, Gravelle fed Calder Brooks streaking into the attacking zone. Brooks gathered the puck, dragged it from his backhand to his forehand and tucked it past Luke Peressini to even the score at one.
Rapid City took the lead in the second period when Gravelle chased down a loose puck in the attacking right-wing corner. He fed a trailing Keegan Iverson, who was crashing the post on the back side. Iverson one-timed the pass under the pads of Peressini and the Rush took their first lead of the game, 2-1.
They extended that lead early in the third period when Baylis fed Nelson in the neutral zone who marched in with an odd-man rush. Nelson fired a snap shot from the left circle that got through Peressini low on the glove side and the Rush lead was 3-1.
Rapid City got one more insurance marker later in the third after Baylis forced a turnover in the neutral zone. He fed the puck up the wall to Nelson who hit Avery Peterson alone in the slot. Peterson flicked a wrister past Peressini on the blocker side and the score swelled to its 4-1 final.
Brooks now has a point in every game of the postseason, Nelson has four points in his past two games and Parik improved his save percentage to .933 by making 31 saves on 32 shots. Rapid City now leads the best-of-seven series, 3-1, and will have a chance to win it in Game 5 on Saturday night in Allen. Puck drop at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT.
