Mallards Take 1-0 Series Lead In Exciting First Game
April 17, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Rapid City Rush News Release
(RAPID CITY, SD) - Michael Young scored 29 seconds into the game, and Cody Ferriero recorded his first 2 points in the postseason as a professional hockey player, but the Quad City Mallards won the back-and-forth dogfight against the Rapid City Rush, taking Game 1 of the Central Division Semifinals Series by a 3-2 score.
Just as the Rush began their first ECHL regular season 72 games ago, they did with energy in their first ever Kelly Cup Playoff game. 29 seconds into the "Rush for the Cup", Kale Kerbashian poked a loose puck into an open area of ice, only to have Michael Young unload for a blast over the blocker of Mallards' goaltender Evan Mosher to give the Rush an early 1-0 lead. Doubling the Mallards with 8 shots to their 4, the Rush kept constant offensive pressure on the Flock, but couldn't capitalize on their 2 power plays in the first.
The Mallards struck twice in the middle period, tying the game and eventually taking their first lead of the contest. Matt Clarke evened the game up with 4:20 gone by in the second, taking a feed from behind the Rush net from Justin Fox, and patiently carried the puck until he shot it over Rush netminder Danny Battochio, outstretched in his crease. Liam Stewart lifted the Mallards to a 2-1 lead just four minutes later, rifling a shot from the far wall that was stopped by Battochio, but trickled behind him at 8:27 of the frame. Special teams became a factor on the fourth Rush power play of the night, with Cody Ferriero slamming a Riley Weselowski rebound behind Mosher to even things for a second time at 2-2 with 5:57 left in the second.
All square through 40 minutes of play, the third period provided all in attendance at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center with pulsating hockey, but the visitors earned the decisive strike. With 6:23 gone by in the final period, 2 seconds into the Mallards first power play of the game, Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel sent a shot from the blue line off of a faceoff win past Battochio to put the Mallards ahead at 3-2. The Rush earned a power play with just over three minutes to play in the game, and despite an extra-attacker effort could not equalize things with numerous chances late, leading to a 3-2 Mallards win, and a 1-0 series lead for Quad City.
Danny Battochio stopped 19 shots on 22 faced in his first postseason game back with the Rush in 2 years (0-1-0). 8 players on both teams recorded their first postseason points as professional hockey players in the Game 1 showdown.
Game 2 is slated for Saturday, April 18th at Premier Home Mortgage Ice in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center before the series shifts to the Quad Cities for possibly 3 games next week. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. MST.
ECHL Stories from April 17, 2015
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