RAPID CITY – In spite of an overtime tie with Rushmore, followed by a loss to the Thunder, the Rangers still sit atop of the SDAHA standings with 11 points, courtesy of a 5-1-1-0 record.
Brookings skated to a 2-2 overtime tie with Rushmore on Saturday before falling, 4-2, on Sunday at the Thunder Dome.
The Rangers travel to Watertown on Friday for an 8 p.m. faceoff with the Lakers.
• Brookings 2, Rushmore 2, OT
Scoreless through the first two periods, the Thunder finally got on the scoreboard on Ryan Nolan’s goal with less than six minutes to play.
The Rangers took advantage of a power-play opportunity to tie the game as Trevor Kuechenmeister lit the lamp off assists from Cody Niklason and Jamison Honkomp with 4:12 left.
Rushmore went back up on Gavin Gary’s power-play tally at the 2:38 mark before Dominic Dobesh scored with 6 second to play off a Kuechenmeister setup to send the game into overtime – where neither team mustered a goal.
The Thunder held a 35-18 advantage in shots, including a 12-3 edge in the third period, as Dylan Geraets finished with 33 saves for Brookings.
• Rushmore 4, Brookings 2
The Rangers got on the scoreboard six minutes into the game when Mason Gerstner cashed in on a power-play chance with the assists going to Dobesh and Brenden Way.
Five minutes later Rushmore tied the game on Derrick Brown’s goal to send the game into the first intermission knotted at 1-1.
Blake Devries scored early in the second to make it 2-1 Thunder through two.
In the third period, Brown lit the lamp again before Jacob Lindblom tallied a power-play goal to push Rushmore’s lead to 4-2.
Brookings got back within two with less than two play as Brandin Heesch notched a power-play goal off assists from Gerstner and Way.
The Thunder outshot the Rangers, 26-14, as Geraets collected 22 saves.
