Mavericks Even Series With 4-2 Win Over Rapid City

The Missouri Mavericks evened their best-of-seven series at two games apiece with a 4-2 win over the Rapid City Rush Friday night at Independence Events Center. Kenton Miller scored two goals for Missouri in the win and rookie goaltender Mike Clemente made 24 saves on 26 shots in his first professional playoff win. It was a penalty filled game as a total of 23 infractions were called and a total of 15 power plays were awarded. Missouri finished 2-for-9 on the power play and Rapid City was 0-for-6. The Mavericks held their first lead of the series and never trailed in the game. Game 5 is Saturday night at Independence Events Center and tickets are still available through Ticketmaster.

The penalty filled affair began nearly from the onset as Mavericks' defenseman Blake Forsyth was called for a penalty just 1:56 into the game. Missouri killed the penalty, and it was the Mavericks who scored first for the first time in the series while on the power play. Miller tallied the first of his two goals when he jammed the puck underneath the padding of goaltender Tim Boron to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. It proved to be the only goal of the period despite a total of 10 penalties being called.

Only 22 seconds into the second period the Mavericks took a 2-0 lead on their second power play goal of the game. Kellan Tochkin capitalized for his second goal of the playoffs and Miller earned the lone assist, but the Mavericks weren't finished. Miller made it 3-0 at the 1:52 mark of the period for his second goal of the game on an assist by Andrew Courtney. Following the goal, Rush goaltender Tim Boron was pulled from the game in favor of Danny Battochio.

Rapid City finally got on the board at 9:07 of the second period when Winston Day Chief took a feed from Jesse Schultz and beat Mavericks' goaltender Mike Clemente. The Mavericks quickly regained the three-goal lead just nine seconds later when Courtney beat Battochio from the doorstep and made it 4-1. Scott Wray capitalized on a Riley Weselowski pass late in the second period to cut the Mavericks lead to 4-2, but that would be as close as the Rush would get.

In the third, the Mavericks limited Rapid City's chances and held the visitors to just eight shots on goal. Neither team was able to light the lamp, and the Mavericks evened the series at two games apiece.

The fifth-seeded Mavericks will host game five Saturday, April 6 at Independence Events Center.