Colleague Randy Johnson (no, not the 300-game winner) is one of the most intense hockey fans you will find around. Seriously, he rivals Rocket and Marthaler. So when he offered up this impromptu several-hundred word account of his glorious hockey experience last night after an impromptu road trip to Rapid City (who does that?), we provided him all the Internet space he wanted. Here is his report. Randy? ------------------------
For a hockey fan seeking live playoff action this spring, the local options were quite limited. The Wild? Not good enough. The Gophers? That quick, three-game WCHA ouster by North Dakota really doesn't count, does it? So when the invitation came from a friend -- "Hey, come on out to Rapid and see a Rush playoff game" -- I took him up on the offer.
Little did I know that after a nine-hour, 600-mile drive, I was about to see one of the most entertaining sporting events I've ever attended. So I was off to western South Dakota to see the Rapid City Rush play the Allen (Texas) Americans in Game 6 of the Central Hockey League's President's Cup finals on Tuesday night. The Rush led the series 3-2, so a victory would mean hoisting that cup in front of the home fans. As someone who grew up in South Dakota, I assigned myself a rooting interest for the Rush and considered the Allen team as an offshoot of the Dallas Cowboys, just to work up the necessary hatred.
The festive atmosphere at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center was palpable, and the sellout crowd of 5,119 was loud, thanks in large part to constantly clanging cowbells. The fans were a mixture of knowledgeable and neophyte, and in a nod to the latter, ushers carried State Fair-like stop-signs-on-a-stick, a reminder that fans should wait for a break in the action before taking their seats. (Hmm, that might not be a bad idea at Wild and Twins games, at least for some fans).
For the home crowd, the game could not have started much worse. The Americans scored 2:15 into the game and made it 2-0 at 16:11 of the first. The deficit grew to 3-0 when Allen pounced on a turnover and made it 3-0 with 28 seconds left in the first.
There was considerable angst in the concourse during the first intermission, and not just about the long beer lines. Game 7, it seemed, would be needed. That feeling didn't change much in the second period, even though the Rush trimmed the deficit to 3-1. Via video clip, Christopher Walken implored the fans to deliver more cowbell, and they did, but the Rush couldn't deliver a sustained attack. That trend lasted through the first 12 minutes of the third, when the Rush had only two shots on goal in the frame.
But then the Rush's Bemidji State connection led a stirring comeback. Blaine Jarvis, on an assist from fellow Beaver Cody Bostock, cut the lead to 3-2 with 5:06 left in the third. The crowd's roar overtook the cowbells, and Brendan Cook, yet another one of five former Beavers on the squad, blasted a shot past Allen goalie Chris Whitley, tying the score 3-3 with 3:06 to play in regulation. More roars, more bells.
And it was on to overtime. "Next goal's a big one," I told my buddy.
Overtime playoff hockey, even at the minor-league level, was a treat. The Rush, answering Allen's edge in size, carried the play through a tense first overtime, although both Whitley and Rapid City goalie Danny Battachio took turns stopping breakaways. Both teams, and many of the fans, were exhausted during the second overtime, in which Rapid City built its shots on goal advantage to 64-49. Just as it appeared a third OT was needed, Rush forward Scott Wray took the advice, "Go to the net and good things will happen." Wray knocked a rebound past Whitley for the winner with 32.1 seconds left in the second OT, and the jubilation began, U2's "Beautiful Day" played and confetti rained.
As the Rush celebrated and passed around the President's Cup, memories of the Gophers' 2002 NCAA championship overtime victory over Maine came back. Same score, 4-3, in sudden death, but not on as big of a stage. Still, it was great entertainment, even with that 600-mile drive -- and all those cowbells.
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You are more than welcome to provide your tale of minor leagues, major enjoyment, in the comments.
