RAPID CITY, S.D. – Tanner Schachle scored with just 75 seconds remaining in the third period to force overtime but the Iowa Heartlanders struck in the opening minute of OT and beat the Rapid City Rush, 4-3, Saturday night at The Monument Ice Arena.
Trailing 3-2 with just over two minutes to play, the Rush were granted a power play and eventually pulled David Tendeck for an extra attacker. With the extra attacker on, Tristan Thompson fired a puck off the end boards that Max Coatta controlled and nudged to Schachle in the slot. He slid a backhander through the legs of Corbin Kaczperski and the game was tied at three.
From there the game moved to overtime and Iowa struck just 20 seconds in. Carter Shinkaruk fed a pass from the left wing to the front of the net where Bryce Misley was cutting. He poked it past Tendeck and the Heartlanders came away with the overtime win, 4-3.
Iowa opened the scoring three minutes into the first period when Kaid Oliver gained the zone on the left wing. He loaded up a wrist shot the snuck past Tendeck’s glove and the Heartlanders took an early, 1-0 lead.
The Rush answered less than one minute later while working on their first power play of the game. Thompson fired a slap shot from the point that was deflected on the way through traffic. It bounced off the crossbar and sat on the edge of the crease where Brett Van Os had inside position. Van Os swept the puck in with his backhand for his first goal with Rapid City, tying the game at one.
The Heartlanders grabbed the lead back later in the opening frame as they worked the puck around the attacking zone and found Jake Smith alone on the right circle. He fired a shot low past Tendeck’s blocker and Iowa went back on top, 2-1.
Rapid City evened things up in the opening minute of the second period with another power play goal. Coatta stuffed a pass through the crease that hit skates and was then poked to the back post by Calder Brooks. Brett Gravelle grabbed it and fired a shot past Jack Berry to make it 2-2.
Iowa snagged the lead again in the third, this time with a power play goal of its own. After Smith’s shot from the left circle was blocked, the rebound bounced to the left of the crease where Oliver stuffed it in, putting the Heartlanders ahead, 3-2.
Coatta and Thompson each had a pair of assists and Van Os scored his first goal with the Rush in just his second game with the team. Rapid City moved to 14-13-3-2 in the overtime loss while Iowa improved to 10-17-3-1. The Rush and Heartlanders will meet again on Sunday afternoon. Puck drop at The Monument Ice Arena is scheduled for 4:05 PM.
