Dallas, Allen, Texas – The Allen Americans, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, won the season series against the Rapid City Rush but lost the season finale on Sunday afternoon at CUTX Event Center.
Rapid City built a 3-0 first period lead and never gave it up. Blake Bennett scored two of the three first period Rush goals, his 13th and 14th of the season.
The Americans cut the lead to 3-2 in the second period on goals by Harrison Blaisdell (13), and Quinn Warmuth (5), one minute and nineteen seconds apart, but Rapid City regained their two-goal lead before the end of the period as Ryan Wagner scored his 15th goal of the year. Colton Hargrove made it a 4-3 Rapid City lead a minute later with his 10th of the year with the game headed to the final period a one-goal deficit for the Americans.
Rapid City put the game away in the third period as former Americans forward Chaz Smedsrud scored his fourth of the season. Rapid City added another later in the period to take the final game of the series 6-3.
The Americans went 0-for-3 on the power play while Rapid City scored a pair of power play goals.
David Tendeck got the start for the Americans and gave up six goals taking the loss. He left the game late in the third period, giving way to Marco Costantini. He faced two shots and stopped them both.
The Americans return to action on Wednesday night at home against the Norfolk Admirals. The second ever meeting between the two teams.
Three Stars:
1. RC - R. Wagner
2. RC - B. Bennett
3. ALN - C. Hargrove
They Said it:
Braidan Simmons-Fischer: “I tried to give the team a little spark in the third period. Not that I have to fight every day. Someone else could have done it as well. I was just trying to get us fired up”
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