Rush Win on "Danny Battochio Night"
March 31, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Rapid City Rush News Release
(RAPID CITY, SD) - Daniel Leavens earned the second point for the Rapid City Rush 1:03 into overtime to give the Rush a 4-3 win over the Quad City Mallards on "Danny Battochio Retirement Night". The game began with a pregame ceremony honoring Rush legend, Danny Battochio, who had his #30 retired prior to puck drop.
Quad City struck twice in the first 10 minutes to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission. Jake Bolton started things off when he came off of the blue line down "Main Street" in the Rush zone, and fired a shot over the shoulder of Rush net-minder Christian Frey to give Quad City a 1-0 lead 4:30 into the game (the goal was unassisted). Travis Armstrong notched his first of the season to make it 2-0 with 8:18 gone by when he potted a rebound in close range by Frey to give the Mallards a multi-goal advantage after 20 minutes.
The Rush fired right back in the second period to eventually bring the game to a deadlock heading into the third. Pavel Jenys, a former Mallard, got the Rush on the board when he collected a turnover on the near wall, and fired a shot under the glove of Mallards goalie C.J. Motte to get the Rush within striking distance at 2-1 with 7:33 gone by in the second period (the goal was unassisted). After a delay to clean up broken glass resulting from a fan cheering too hard, the Rush wasted no time in tying the game. Exactly 13 seconds later (on the scoresheet), Alec Baer tapped a rebound from a Peter Sivak attempt towards Motte's net to square the game at 2-2 (Sivak and Pavel Jenys assisted). Quad City jumped back on top when Alex Kuqali drove the middle lane and was wide open for a back-door tap-in on a Jamie Tardif pass that put the Flock back on top with a 3-2 score with 5:46 left in the second (Tardif had the lone assist). Andrew Radjenovic squared the game back up when he took a pass from Peter Sivak to the high slot and rifled a shot by Motte to tie the game at 3-3 with 2:52 left in the second (Sivak had the lone assist).
Both teams remained deadlocked after the final period, and squared off in an overtime period. Daniel Leavens ended the game 1:03 into the session of free hockey when he carried the puck from neutral ice to the left wing side and slipped a rebound on his own shot by Motte to give the Rush a 4-3 win (the goal was unassisted).
Christian Frey earned the win for the Rush, stopping 34 of 37 shots (4-14-3).
The Rush play their final home game of the season tomorrow against the Quad City Mallards. Puck drop for the rematch is slated for 7:05 p.m. MST at Premier Home Mortgage Ice in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.
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