RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Quad City Mallards beat the Rapid City Rush 3-2 in game two of their first round best-of-seven Saturday night, taking advantage of 5-on-3 situation and a Matt Duffy one-timer to win an overtime thriller that was filled with penalty minutes.
Bobby Preece and Kyle Stroh were called for back-to-back penalties in the waning minutes of the third period to set up the dramatic overtime win. However, as predicted, the 17-penalties from game one of the series exploded into 26-penalties in game two, making it a challenge for officials to keep control. In total, the two teams were handed a combined 56 penalty minutes.
Matching minors were given to Rapid City’s Preece and Quad City’s Jim McKenzie during a stoppage in play for a goaltender interference minor on Rapid City’s Scott Brannon; all of this while both teams were lined up for a face-off.
The Mallards opened up the scoring in the game with a goal from Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel at 14:32 of the first period, followed by two goals from the Rush at 19:02 of the first by Jesse Shultz and at 2:41 of the second by Scott Brannon.
Early in the third period, while trailing 3-2, the Mallards’ Gergo Nagy scored short-handed after a roughing penalty to Rapid City’s Thomas Frazee. From there, tempers and time got short, leading to back-to-back penalties late in the third to give the Mallards the two-man advantage heading into the extra frame; and the Rush could not overcome the numbers game.
The series now moves to the Quad Cities tied at 1-1 with game three scheduled for Wednesday, April 9th at 7:05pm at the iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois.