(Rapid City, SD) – The Rapid City Rush and Mississippi RiverKings met for the final time of the season on Tuesday night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.  The high scoring contest remained close the entire game, however the Rush ended up holding on for 5-4 win, brushing off the RiverKings for the second time this season.  The Rush have now won four straight games on home ice and picked up points in six of the last seven games overall.

Box Score
 
The Rush got off to a fast start with the first goal of the night scored just 2:16 into the opening period.  Ryan Menei set up Les Reaney’s fourth goal of the season to give Rapid City a 1-0 lead.  The RiverKings fought back and tied up the score with only 4:37 left in the first with an unassisted goal from Matt Boyd.  The Rush responded quickly, finding the back of the net once more to put them back in the lead, just 41 seconds later.  The goal was put on the board by Ryan Menei who entered the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 and snapped a low wrist shot home. The Rush ended the first period outshooting the RiverKings 9-7 and leaving the ice with a 2-1 lead.
 
The Mississippi RiverKings started off the second period by adding on another tally to tie up the contest.  RiverKings forward Matt Summers capitalized on a powerplay exactly three minutes into the period.  Once again, the Rush answered back immediately, scoring a powerplay goal to take back the lead.  The goal was hammered in just 1:20 later by Reaney on a play assisted by Scott Wray and Ryan Menei.  With the goal, Reaney tied Rich Hansen for the Rapid City Rush all-time points lead at 138.  The powerplay would strike again, this time Colt King, playing in his 400th career game, lit the lamp to double the Rush lead at 4-2.  Not to be outdone, RiverKings forward Matt Boyd tipped in his second goal of the night just 1:24 later to cut the lead in half. Despite being outshot 14-9 in the second period, the Rush brought a 4-3 lead into the 2nd intermission.
 
In the final frame, the Rush powerplay tallied for the third time on the night as Scott Wray tipped in a Dave Grimson shot 6:02 into the period.  Refusing to give up, RiverKings defenseman and captain Derek Landmesser fired a turnaround shot from the point that made it a 5-4 game with over eight minutes remaining.  Despite the late attack, the Rush held on for the 5-4 win, securing their seventh win of the season.

Rapid City’s #1 ranked powerplay lit the lamp three times on eight chances while the RiverKings man advantaged finished the night 1-for-8.

Danny Battochio made 26 saves for his seventh win of the season, tying him for the league lead in that category.