ALLEN, Texas – Logan Nelson and Calder Brooks each scored twice, Brett Gravelle had three assists and the Rapid City Rush cruised to a 5-1 win over the Allen Americans in Game 3, Tuesday night at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. With the win, the Rush took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Rush opened the scoring late in the first period when Nelson took a pass below the right circle. From even with the goal line, he fired a shot that hit the outside of the net, bounced off the back of Luke Peressini’s left pad and in, giving the Rush a 1-0 lead.
They added to that lead early in the second after Brooks received a pass and carried the puck behind the net. He reached out his stick and wrapped a shot around the far post, beating Peressini to the post, pushing the score to 2-0.
Later in the second with the Rush on the power play, Avery Peterson fed Nelson at the left circle. He stepped into a one-timer and blasted it past Peressini’s blocker side, extending the Rapid City lead to 3-0.
Allen answered later with the teams skating four-on-four. Colby McCauley hit Spencer Asuchak on the left wing who sent a pass toward the back post. It bounced off the skates of a Rapid City defenseman and past Lukas Parik, making the score 3-1.
The Rush got another one shortly thereafter, again while on a power play, after Gravelle fired a shot on net that Peressini stopped. The rebound bounced in front of the crease and Brooks was able to swat it home for his second goal of the game that gave Rapid City a 4-1 advantage.
It added one more early in the third period as Tyson Helgesen snapped a shot through traffic that beat Peressini high, pushing the score to its 5-1 final.
Parik made 21 saves, Nelson and Brooks each scored their first two goals of the series and Gravelle dished out three assists as the Rush took a 2-1 series lead in the win. Game 4 will be on Friday night at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT.
