Thunder Falls In Black Hills To Rush

RAPID CITY, SD (Jan. 15) - Rapid City scored three times in the second and third and skated away with a 8-2 win over Wichita on Wednesday night at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Chris Crane and Peter Crinella each tallied a power play goal in the losing effort.

Wichita appeared to take a 1-0 lead early in the first as Beau Starrett fired a wrist shot on net. The referee waived it off and after looking at video review, deemed that it never crossed the line. The Rush struck 16:27 with a power play goal from Charles-David Beaudoin. Rapid City won a face-off, worked it to the right point and he beat Wells to make it 1-0. Crane answered just over a minute later with a power play tally as he wired a wrister past the glove of Alex Sakellaropoulos. Jalen Smereck re-gained the lead just 25 seconds later as he walked through the zone and beat Wells for his first of the year.

Rapid City scored three times in the second to take a 5-2 lead into the third. Ryker Killins took advantage of a bad bounce after a clearing attempt hit a stanchion and he buried his second of the season to make it 3-1. Crinella recorded his 10th of the year on the power play just two minutes later to make it a 3-2 contest. Rapid City added the next two as Brennan Saulnier and Cedric Montminy found the net for the home team.

In the third, the Rush opened up the flood gates with three goals in two minutes from Darian Romanko, Keeghan Howdeshell and Dexter Dancs to make it 8-2.

Patrik Parkkonen and Jason Salvaggio each collected two helpers. Wichita went 2-for-6 on the man advantage.

Wichita continues on its seven-game road trip on Friday night against Utah at 8:10 p.m.

The Thunder are excited to be the host of the 2020 Warrior Hockey/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by Toyota, on Wednesday January 22, 2020. Get your tickets now for the league's annual showcase that features some of the best young talent across the ECHL by clicking here.

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