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ECHL Kansas City Mavericks

Mavericks Win Home-Opener 3-2 over Rush

November 8, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Kansas City Mavericks News Release


Independence, MO (Nov. 8, 2014) - Home ice is always nice and for the Missouri Mavericks, it was especially sweet as they played their first ECHL home game in front of a sellout crowd of 5,850 and came away with a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Central Division leading Rapid City Rush. The Mavs were the final ECHL team to play their home opener and with the win, improve to 4-1-1 all-time in their first game on home ice.

"There was great energy in the building tonight," said Missouri Head Coach Richard Matvichuk. "Everyone from the players to front office staff to volunteers did a fantastic job in preparing for the game and it was good to see the guys come away with the win on the ice."

Garett Bembridge, the 2014 Central Hockey League Most Valuable Player, was one of the biggest signings in minor pro hockey in the off-season and after going without a goal in his first five games with the Mavs, the sniper caught fire scoring a pair of second period of goals including the game winning strike. Bembridge led the CHL in goals last season with 42.

Mavs goaltender Mike Clemente pulled to .500 on the season, along with his team, as he turned away 22 of 24 shots moving to 2-2 on the young campaign.

The visiting Rush started the scoring at the 2:18 mark of the opening period behind a goal from Dan Barczuk, his third of the season. Missouri has given up the first goal of the game five times in six contests and had gone 1-3-0 entering tonight when allowing the first strike.

In the second period, the Mavs erupted, matching their season-best with three goals in the period. Kellan Tochkin scored his first goal of the season at the 2:00 mark tying the score and then Bembridge scored on the power play just 3:24 later giving the home fans something to roar about with a 2-1 lead. Missouri also set a season-high by generating 13 shots on net in the middle frame.

At the 11:30 mark, Bembridge scored his second of the night giving him his first multi-goal game in a Missouri uniform. Last season, the Melfort, Saskatchewan native had nine multi-goal efforts with the Denver Cutthroats.

"Garett is like all goal scorers in that they tend to come in bunches," said Matvichuk. "He has been working on all the right things in practice and it really paid off tonight."

Leading 3-1 after two periods, Missouri had to hang on the in the third period as Clemente was the busiest he had been all night stopping nine of 10 shots. Rapid City capitalized on a power play goal by Jean-Phillip Chabot just 95 second into the frame cutting the score to 3-2 and kept the pressure on throughout the remainder of the period but the Mavs defense came through keeping Rapid City at bay preserving the one-goal win. All three of Missouri's wins this season have come by a one-goal margin.

Missouri outshot the Rush 25-24 as Danny Battochio, fresh off a shutout on Friday night in Wichita, took the loss.

Sebastien Thinel assisted on Bembridge's power play goal extending his point streak to five games (3G-4A during his streak).

Missouri is back in action on Sunday afternoon with a road game in Wichita. Face-off at the INTRUST Bank Arena is set for 5:05 PM (CT).

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