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David Simoes could not have picked a more opportune moment to score his first goal as a member of the Missouri Mavericks.
The newcomer scored the game-winning goal Tuesday night at the Independence Events Center at the 1:22 mark of overtime to help the Mavericks edge his old team, the Rapid City Rush, 2-1 before a crowd of 4,871.
“The boys played with a lot of heart tonight,” Mavericks coach Scott Hillman said after his team wrapped a successful 5-1-1 homestand. “We needed this win tonight because we now go to their place for two games and we all know how difficult it is to get away with a win in Rapid City.”
The win gives the Mavericks a 25-15-4 record and two-point lead over the Rush for third place in the Turner Conference.
While Simoes was the game’s No. 1 star, the night belonged to goaltenders Charlie Effinger and Rapid City’s Tim Boron.
“Both goaltenders stood on their heads tonight and gave their teams every opportunity to win,” said Mavericks forward Ed McGrane, who knotted the score at 1-all at 5:10 of the third period.
“We all felt like if we could just tie the game up, Charlie wasn’t going to give up another goal.”
The lone Rush goal came at the 14:57 mark of the second period when Collin Circelli scored on a questionable 5-on-3 advantage.
“The call was made, they had the two-man advantage and that was the only blemish against Charlie,” Hillman said. “We had a playoff atmosphere in our building tonight. It was just one of those great games where two very good teams play their best hockey.
“Charlie kept us in the game all night and we found a way to win.”
Effinger stopped 24 of 25 shots, including a circus play in which he lay flat on his back and grabbed a puck with his glove hand.
“I felt good out there tonight,” Effinger said. “We needed these points. If they win, they go ahead of us by a point and we have to go play two games in their place.
“Now, we go to their place with a two-point lead and we have to find a way to steal one in Rapid City. I was really proud of the way the boys played tonight. They did everything they could to win this game. And what about Simoes in the overtime? That was a nice way to score your first goal (as a Maverick).”
Simoes is not known as a goal scorer, but he grinned, “I’ll take it. Great passes from Dix (John-Scott Dickson) and Dale (Mahovsky) and I was able to get the puck past Boron.”
David Simoes could not have picked a more opportune moment to score his first goal as a member of the Missouri Mavericks.
The newcomer scored the game-winning goal Tuesday night at the Independence Events Center at the 1:22 mark of overtime to help the Mavericks edge his old team, the Rapid City Rush, 2-1 before a crowd of 4,871.
“The boys played with a lot of heart tonight,” Mavericks coach Scott Hillman said after his team wrapped a successful 5-1-1 homestand. “We needed this win tonight because we now go to their place for two games and we all know how difficult it is to get away with a win in Rapid City.”
The win gives the Mavericks a 25-15-4 record and two-point lead over the Rush for third place in the Turner Conference.
While Simoes was the game’s No. 1 star, the night belonged to goaltenders Charlie Effinger and Rapid City’s Tim Boron.
“Both goaltenders stood on their heads tonight and gave their teams every opportunity to win,” said Mavericks forward Ed McGrane, who knotted the score at 1-all at 5:10 of the third period.
“We all felt like if we could just tie the game up, Charlie wasn’t going to give up another goal.”
The lone Rush goal came at the 14:57 mark of the second period when Collin Circelli scored on a questionable 5-on-3 advantage.
“The call was made, they had the two-man advantage and that was the only blemish against Charlie,” Hillman said. “We had a playoff atmosphere in our building tonight. It was just one of those great games where two very good teams play their best hockey.
“Charlie kept us in the game all night and we found a way to win.”
Effinger stopped 24 of 25 shots, including a circus play in which he lay flat on his back and grabbed a puck with his glove hand.
“I felt good out there tonight,” Effinger said. “We needed these points. If they win, they go ahead of us by a point and we have to go play two games in their place.
“Now, we go to their place with a two-point lead and we have to find a way to steal one in Rapid City. I was really proud of the way the boys played tonight. They did everything they could to win this game. And what about Simoes in the overtime? That was a nice way to score your first goal (as a Maverick).”
Simoes is not known as a goal scorer, but he grinned, “I’ll take it. Great passes from Dix (John-Scott Dickson) and Dale (Mahovsky) and I was able to get the puck past Boron.”
