Rapid City Blows out the Mudbugs to win the Northern Conference, To Face Allen for the Championship

After a Northern Conference Final that was just as exciting as the Southern Conference Final. The Rapid City Rush took their home ice advantage to good use as a 4 goal 1st period was used to run away from the Mudbugs and ultimately end their season.

Like many times this season, the Rush used their scoring depth with the 7 goals coming from 6 different players with Rich Hansen leading the way with 2 Goals and an assist. Other notable performances came from Scott Wray with 3 assists and Brendon Cook and Brenden Hodge with a goal and an assist each.

For the Mudbugs, Tyrel Lucas had a goal and an assist in a night where the team was just bombarded early and had a hard time recovering from the early crushing that saw them down 6-1 at one point. The Mudbugs are hoping to use this as a springboard to better things in the future as the team is looking to return to the glory days of the early part of the last decade.

From The Central Hockey League Website: www.centralhockeyleague.com

From Rapid City, South Dakota: On Wednesday Night, the Rapid City Rush lit up the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs for a 7-3 win and the Northern Conference Championship. The Rush will now take on the expansion Allen Americans for the Ray Miron Presidents Cup Championship, set to begin this weekend at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The Rush Offense exploded for four goals in the first period and seven total, both tying playoff highs for the young team.

Rapid City got started early, with Brendan Cook netting his fourth goal of the playoffs at 3:09. Defensemen Gio Flamminio fired a slapshot from the point and Cook was in the slot to deflect it home for a 1-0 lead. The Mudbugs were quick to answer when, off a faceoff circle, Simon Mangos rifled off a slapshot home less then two minutes later. The Rush would turn up the momentum with a pair of goals separated by just 20 seconds.

The first came at the 7:15 mark, Blaine Jarvis broke in on a partial and chipped in a backhand shot through Parker Van Buskirk to regain the lead. It was then Les Reaney who gave the Rush a 3-1 lead when he snapped a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot that rang off the far post and in. With under 4 minutes left in the first period, Jon Pelle circled behind the Bugs net and centered the pass that was jammed home by Rich Hansen. The 4-1 lead after 20 minutes marked the first time this postseason that the Rush lead heading into the first intermission.

Rapid City would make it 5 unanswered goals with a pair to start off the middle frame. The first was Brandon Hodge at 8:11 when his wrist shot made its way through a screen and home for his 2nd in the last 3 games. The 2nd came on the power-play when Rich Hansen collected his 2nd, cutting to the goal mouth and burying it 5 hole, ending Van Buskirk's night. Travis Clayton would finally stop the bleeding for the Mudbugs with a power play goal with just 32 seconds left in the period. Heading into the 3rd period, the Rush led 6-2.

In the third, the teams were exchanging goals beginning with Tyrel Lucas third of the playoffs cutting the lead to just 3 5:52 in. But with less then 4 minutes left in regulation, Derek Campbell would bring the game to its final 7-3 lead when he circled to the high slot and fired a snap shot past goaltender Torrie Jung.

Rapid City Wins Series 4-3, It will be the Allen Americans VS. Rapid City Rush for the 2010 CHL Ray Miron Presidents Cup Championship.

Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs 3 Rapid City Rush 7 (1-4, 1-2, 1-1)

0-1 RPC: Brendan Cook (Glamminio, Wray) 3:09 1st

1-1 BOS: Simon Mangos (Lucas) 4:41 1st

1-2 RPC: Blaine Jarvis (Hodge, King) 7:15 1st

1-3 RPC: Les Reaney (Grimison, Wray) 7:35 1st

1-4 RPC: Rich Hansen (Pelle, Fritshaw) 16:36 1st

1-5 RPC: Brendon Hodge (King, Wray) 8:11 2nd

1-6 RPC: Rich Hansen (PP) (Pelle, Leblanc) 10:22 2nd

2-6 BOS: Travis Clayton (PP) (Kyrzakos, Aikins) 19:28 2nd

3-6 BOS: Tyrel Lucas (Milam, Aikins) 5:52 3rd

3-7 RPC: Derek Campbell (Hasnen, Cook) 16:32 3rd


Game Stats

SOG: BOS 38 RPC 34

PP: BOS 1/6 RPC 1/5

PIM: BOS 13 Minutes on 5 Penalties RPC 12 Minutes on 6 Penalties

Goalies: BOS Parker Van Buskirk 20 SVS on 26 Shots Torrie Jung 7 SVS on 8 Shots RPC Danny Battochio 35 SVS on 38 Shots

ATT: 4058

3rd Star: Danny Battochio (RPC)

2nd Star: Scott Wray (RPC)

1st Star: Rich Hansen (RPC)