RIO RANCHO, N.M. — The Rapid City Rush (4-2-0) rallied from two goals down to stun the New Mexico Goatheads (1-3-3) in overtime, 4-3, at Rio Rancho Events Center on Friday.
Jake Ratzlaff banged home the game-winner 1:46 into overtime, a one-timer from the deep slot for his first goal of the season. The puck broke through the pads of New Mexico goaltender Nikita Novoselov and, upon video review, was confirmed to have crossed the goal line.
New Mexico started out strong and the Rush struggled to find their footing over the first half of the game. The Goatheads built a 2-0 lead late in the second, then the teams exchanged blows.
Quinn Olson buried a 4-on-3 power-play tally to put Rapid City on the board, only for New Mexico to record a shorthanded goal 50 seconds later. The Rush weren’t done, as Ryan Wagner capitalized before that power-play opportunity ended on a bar-down snipe, cutting the deficit to 3-2 at the end of the second.
Rapid City killed two third-period penalties and controlled the play over the final 20 minutes. Ryan Hofer banged home a rebound with 13:42 remaining in regulation to tie the score. Both goaltenders combined to bring the game to overtime from there, and the lone shot on target in the extra session was Ratzlaff’s game-winner, the first of his career.
Brett Mirwald earned the victory in his Rush debut with 23 saves on 26 shots. The former Allen American improved to 6-0-1 in his ECHL career. Novoselov stopped 44 of 48 in the loss.
Rapid City’s power play doubled its season output with a 2-for-5 performance, while the penalty kill went 4-for-5. The Rush have allowed just two power-play goals through six games this season.
The Rush improve their record to 4-2, including an unblemished 3-0 mark on the road.
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