RAPID CITY, SD - February 13, 2025 - The Maine Mariners surrendered a two-goal lead and fell by a 5-4 final score in their first ever visit to Rapid City on Thursday night. The Rush capitalized on a late power play to break a 4-4 tie and win their fourth in a row.
Maine's leading scorer Brooklyn Kalmikov got the first tally of the game at 7:47 of the opening period, darting down the right wing and ripping a deflected pass behind Rush netminder Connor Murphy. With less than two minutes remaining in the period, a shorthanded goal doubled the Maine lead to 2-0. Zach Massicotte blasted a one-timer home in the slot after nice work by Jacob Hudson and Wylllum Deveaux down below the goal line. It was both Massicotte's first goal of the season and Maine's first shorthanded goal.
Rapid City's Blake Bennett squeezed a shot through arm of Ryan Bischel just 30 seconds into the second period, getting Rapid City on the board. After a match penalty for slew footing to Rapid City's Connor Mylymok, Xander Lamppa deflected home a power play goal at 3:25 of the period to put the Mariners back up two. Rapid City would answer with a shorthanded goal of their own at 7:14 when Ryan Wagner skated in on a breakaway and slipped one between the Bischel's pads. Just about a minute later, Rapid's Deni Goure crashed to the back door and finished a pass from Maurizio Colella to tie the game at three. The Mariners grabbed momentum back before the period ended when Christian Sarlo danced in for a shorthanded goal at 15:01, setting Maine up with the 4-3 lead after two.
Bennett struck with another early period goal to tie things up again in the third. Just 1:04 in, he went high glove on Bischel to finish a pass from Chaz Smedsrud. It would be Smedsrud who got the game-winner at 16:40, backhanding in a rebound in the low slot on the power play. A faceoff violation penalty against the Mariners proved costly.
The Mariners (17-25-3-0) and Rush will play again in Rapid City on Friday night at 9:05 PM ET, the second game of Maine's 10-game road trip. They're on the road until Friday, March 7th when they return to the Cross Insurance Arena to host the Reading Royals for "Dino Night" at 7:15 PM. Single game tickets are available at MarinersOfMaine.com or at the Hammond Lumber Company Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena. For more information on ticket packages and group discounts, fans can call 833-GO-MAINE, go to MarinersOfMaine.com, or visit the Mariners front office at 94 Free Street in Portland.
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