Sellout, shutout ... wow

By Jim Holland, Journal staff | Sunday, November 30, 2008

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

RAPID CITY — The Rapid City Rush staged its own holiday Festival of Lights for fans who came to watch South Dakota’s first-ever professional hockey game Saturday. The expansion franchise christened its new ice arena and introduced hockey to the sellout crowd at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center by lighting up the scoreboard.

Again.

And again.

And again.

The Rush blanked Colorado 4-0 in its home debut in front of a crowd of 5,119, handing Colorado only its third loss in 18 starts this season and

first shutout in nearly a year.

Rush head coach Joe Ferras said the welcome home from the raucous capacity crowd helped spark his players.

“You have no idea how loud it was. We were all taken aback, and a little teary-eyed to see the way it all came together. You couldn’t ask for a better night.”

Rich Hansen scored twice, and Jamie VanderVeeken and Derek LeBlanc added insurance goals for the Rush, who turned the tables on their Central Hockey League Northwest Division rivals after bowing to the Eagles (15-3-0 overall) in five previous matchups.

Backed up by a stubborn cadre of Rapid City defensemen, Rush netminder Miguel Beaudry proved to be bulletproof. The goaltender stopped all 27 shots he faced and helped blank Colorado during its seven power-play opportunities, including a five-on-three   advantage for the Eagles in the first period.

“He was phenomenal tonight. There were no second shots. He pulled everything in,” said Ferras.

Another key to the victory was the second period. In their two previous meetings, including a 7-1 humbling less than 24 hours earlier in Loveland, Colo., the Eagles had outscored Rapid City 15-1 in the second.

“Getting through that second period and playing them even was huge,” Ferras said. “That’s the best hockey club we’ve seen in this league in 10 years. To battle those guys in our rink as hard as we did today, Miguel (Beaudry) and Richie (Hansen) and (Chris) Lipsett, and all our guys, is just an unbelievable team effort.”

Hansen gave the Rush the only goal they needed at the 12:09 mark of the first period, taking the pass from newcomer Blaine Jarvis and burying the puck top shelf, glove-side on Eagles’ goalie Morgan Cey.

After the scoreless second, Hansen took the feed from Lipsett in a crush at the Colorado net and beat Cey with just 18 seconds gone in the third to put Rapid City up 2-0.

“We didn’t try too much. We just kept it simple and got some pucks in the net and that was the key for us,” said Hansen. “We’re not the most skilled team in the league, but when we’re composed, we can play with anybody. Hopefully we can continue to play that style and just be consistent.”

VanderVeeken’s unassisted shot less than four minutes later was only the third goal for a Rush defensemen this season.

Le Blanc’s clincher with 10:38 gone came off assists from a pair of players signed Saturday, including Jon Pelle, a rookie forward from Harvard, and Eric Nelson, a defenseman with ECHL and AHL experience coming off an injury suffered in a preseason game. 

To complete the night, 6-4, 255-pound Rapid City defenseman Jason Goulet and Colorado’s Jay Birnie got into a scrap late in the second period. Goulet took a few punches to the face, but eventually pulled Birnie to the ice on his back. Both were given 5-minute roughing penalties.  

Colorado hadn’t been blanked since a 3-0 setback at the hands of the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs on Dec. 14, 2007.

Contact Jim Holland at 394-8429 or

jim.holland@rapidcityjournal.com

Title: Rapid City Rush Date: November 28th, 2008 Follow the Rush at www.rapidcityjournal.com. VIEW PRESENTATION »