RAPID CITY, SD (Jan. 24) – Ryker Killins scored at 5:13 of overtime to propel Rapid City to a 4-3 win over Wichita on Friday night at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.
Rapid City benefited from a power play in the extra session as Fabrizio Ricci was tacked for a hook.
Beau Starrett led the way with two goals while Peter Crinella added a tally.
Tyler Poulsen scored the only goal of the first on the power play at 15:29 as he caught a pass from the right corner to the left face-off dot and beat Gillam to make it 1-0.
Eric Israel scored at 3:47 of the second to make it a 2-1 lead. Poulsen stole the puck from a Thunder forward near the blue line, dished off to Israel at the left circle and he buried a wrist shot. Starrett notched his 14th of the year at 5:06 as he tipped home a shot from Garrett Schmitz to cut the lead to 2-1. Jalen Smereck scored a power play goal at 11:31 to re-gain a two-goal margin and a 3-1 advantage.
In the third, Wichita climbed all the way back to tie the game and force overtime. Crinella deflected a shot from Riley Weselowski at 11:10 to pull the Thunder within one. With just :00.6 seconds remaining, Jason Salvaggio found Starrett at the right post and he beat Tyler Parks to make it 3-3.
Both teams had end-to-end chances at the beginning of OT. The Thunder thought they should be awarded a penalty when Stefan Fournier carried it across the slot and was draped by a Rapid City defender. Ricci was called the next time down the ice for a hook and he went off for the 8th penalty against the Thunder. At 5:13, Killins scored the game-winner from the left circle to make it 4-3.
Starrett recorded his first multi-goal game of his career. Crinella had a goal and sits at 11 on the season.
