RAPID CITY - Bobi Deneke has yet to see her first professional hockey game, but she wants to be prepared when that day comes in Rapid City later this year.

Deneke, of Rapid City, was one of about 60 women attending Tuesday night's Hockey in Heels fundraiser hosted by the Rapid City Rush, a Central Hockey League expansion team scheduled to begin its inaugural season this fall.

"We've got one of the skyboxes, but I don't know very much about hockey," Deneke said while getting a glimpse of the Rush's new arena under construction at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. "I just wanted to educate myself."

Education was just one of the goals of the night. Proceeds from the $25 cost of each ticket were donated to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, scheduled in Rapid City on June 13-14.

The team's first Hockey in Heels event at the Rushmore Thunderdome in February was a benefit for the Rushmore Hockey Association.

Rush head coach Joe Ferras said catering to female fans makes sense, because female fans actually outnumber their male counterparts.

"It's something unique to professional hockey. The demographics are about 60-40 women to men, especially at the lower levels, and in non-traditional areas such as Rapid City," said Ferras.

"The women like the physicality of the game, but then the men come out and see just the talent of these kids and how exciting it is to watch it live," he said.

"If we can give them a little bit of knowledge on some of the rules of the game, it makes it so much easier for them when they come to the rink," Ferras said. "It's not that difficult a game to understand, and if you see it played at the best levels, it's actually beautiful to watch."

"What we've found in the non-traditional markets, if we can get the women to the game, we'll get the men to the games," said Rush general manager Jason Rent. "This is a fun way to introduce them to the game."

Activities included an explaination the game's penalties, and assistant general manager Tim Hill donned a goalies uniform.

Attendees also received a glimpse of the new hockey arena, which will seat 5,200 spectators and is on track for completion in December.

The team will start the season in October and will play several road games before the arena's opening.

Angela Jackley, a former Rapid City resident now living in Sioux Falls, was impressed with the new facility.

"It looks like it's going to be a lot nicer than the one in Sioux Falls," she said.

While hockey education and raising money for cancer research were the main goals of the event, the night's atmosphere was all for fun, Ferras said.

"It's a night out for the ladies to be themselves and have some laughs." he said.

In other Rapid City Rush news:

- Ferras said Tuesday night that he expects to announce a third player signing to the Rush roster today, joining defenseman Stephen Cooke of Stirling,

Ontario, and forward Brady Olsen of Enterprise, Ontario. He also said the team would name a pair of combination player-assistant coaches in the next few weeks.

- The CHL expansion draft is scheduled for June 12 and 13 in conjunction with the leagues spring meetings in Phoenix, Ariz. Announcement of the full team roster is expected in July.

- Rent said there is a "short list" of six candidates for the team's play-by-play announcer position. The Rush's regular-season and playoff games will be broadcast on Rapid City's Fox 100.3 FM.