MOLINE, Ill. - Kale Kerbashian forced overtime with his game-tying goal in the third, Scott Brannon won it in overtime, and Danny Battochio stopped 24 shots as the Rapid City Rush defeated the Quad City Mallards by a 2-1 score in overtime of Game 3 in the ECHL’s Central Division Semifinals. The win gives the Rush a 2-1 lead in the series.<
For the first time in this series, the Mallards drew first blood, and did so on special teams. On their first power play of the game, the second one issued within the first 3 minutes, Justin Fox poked a rebound by Rush netminder Danny Battochio, lifting the Mallards to a 1-0 lead with 2:59 gone by in the game.
It took the Rush 48:31 to get on the board, but Kale Kerbashian did so with his first of the postseason. Fresh off the bench, Kerbashian took a string of passes from Dylan Clarke and Justin Faryna, skated a lap around the zone to the high slot and rifled a turnaround shot past Mallards goaltender Parker Milner to even things up at 1-1 and force overtime.
Scott Brannon ignited the goal lamp at the 5:22 mark of the free hockey session to end the contest. After tracking a rebound on one of his own shots, Brannon sent the puck along to Michael Young, who rotated deep in the zone. He handed off to Faryna, who fed Brannon the puck in front, and Brannon flipped it by Milner’s outstretched glove to win the game for the Rush at a 2-1 count, and give the Rush a 2-1 series advantage.
Danny Battochio stopped 24 of 25 shots, earning first star honors (2-1-0). Justin Faryna, playing in his first postseason game in almost 2 years, assisted both goals in the game.
The Rush stay in Moline and play in Game 4 on Friday night at the iWireless Center, with puck drop slated for 6:05 p.m. MST.
With Rapid City Rush team release
Photos courtesy of Rich Guill (Sean Flynn Photography)
