Sundogs' Comeback Effort Falls Short as Rush Holds on for 13th Straight Win
February 19, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The defending Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Champion Rapid City Rush extended their CHL season-long winning streak to 13 games with a 5-4 win over the Arizona Sundogs Saturday night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Arena in Rapid City, South Dakota in the third meeting in five games between the two clubs.
Arizona trailed 3-0 midway through the game and 4-1 early in the third period but twice closed to within one in the final frame. Craig Macdonald had a chance to pull the Sundogs even at four after being awarded a penalty shot with 1:43 to play in the contest but Tim Boron got a glove on the attempt, preserving a one-goal lead for the Turner Conference-leading Rush.
Rookie defenseman Jim Driscoll cut Rapid City's lead to 4-3 with 3:02 remaining in regulation, sending a shot inside the near post and past Boron but Les Reaney added an unassisted marker at the 19-minute mark, all but sealing the win for the Rush.
Cam Keith re-ignited Arizona's comeback effort with his second point on the night with less than 30 seconds to play but Rapid City held on for the win.
The Rush jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Konrad Reeder's 12th goal of the year just 14 seconds into the game as Levente Szuper steered Rapid City's first shot of the contest onto the stick of the former Sundogs forward at the near dot for the early tally.
Scott Wray and Derek LeBlanc stretched their team's lead to 3-0 in the second period before Sundogs rookie forward Patrick Schafer got Arizona on the scoreboard with a power-play goal late in the middle frame.
Scott Kalinchuk reclaimed a three-goal cushion for the Rush at 5:21 of the third period but Kyle Hood's 11th goal and team-leading 53rd point of the season 1:10 later quickly cut Arizona's deficit back to two. Macdonald extended his scoring streak to four games with an assist on the play.
Allowing 91 combined shots in its previous two contests, Arizona held Rapid City to just 28 shots in the loss.
Despite the setback, Arizona (19-26-6) remains three points ahead of the Laredo Bucks for the Berry Conference's eighth and final playoff spot and sits just two points back of seventh-place Odessa and three points behind sixth-place Rio Grande Valley.
The Sundogs continue a five-game road trip on Friday, Feb. 25 at 6:05pm (Arizona time) against the Jackalopes. Listen to the game live online at www.cattlecountryradio.com and on KDDL 'Cattle Country' 94.3FM, the Official Radio Home of Arizona Sundogs Hockey.
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