Rush Fall to Tahoe in Overtime, Trail by 9 Points

Rapid City Rush suffer tough overtime loss, widening gap in playoff race

Mar. 30, 2026 at 3:23am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game between the Rapid City Rush and Tahoe Knight Monsters, with the players and ice rink broken down into abstract shapes and planes of blue, white, and red.The Rush's overtime loss to Tahoe widens the gap in the playoff race, setting the stage for a crucial late-season showdown.Wichita Today

The Rapid City Rush (27-31-6) suffered a 5-4 overtime loss to the Tahoe Knight Monsters (32-28-5) on Sunday at Tahoe Blue Event Center, despite earning five points from the three-game series. The defeat leaves Rapid City trailing Tahoe by nine points with only eight games left in the regular season.

Why it matters

The overtime loss represents a significant setback for the Rush in their pursuit of a playoff position, as the nine-point gap between them and Tahoe makes their path to the postseason more challenging with limited games remaining.

The details

Hunter Donohoe scored his first professional goal just 33 seconds into the game, giving the Rush an early lead. Ryan Wagner also scored in the first period, returning to the lineup after missing the first two games of the series for family reasons. Rapid City extended their lead in the second period with goals from Ryan Chyzowski and Seth Fyten. However, Tahoe responded in the third period with a power play goal from Luke Adam and a late equalizer from Casey Bailey. In overtime, Mike O'Leary scored the game-winning goal for the Knight Monsters.

  • The game was played on Sunday, March 30, 2026.
  • The Rush have 8 games left in the regular season.

The players

Rapid City Rush

A professional ice hockey team based in Rapid City, South Dakota, and a member of the ECHL.

Tahoe Knight Monsters

A professional ice hockey team based in Tahoe, California, and a member of the ECHL.

Hunter Donohoe

A player for the Rapid City Rush who scored the first goal of the game.

Ryan Wagner

A player for the Rapid City Rush who scored a goal in the first period after rejoining the team for family reasons.

Ryan Chyzowski

A player for the Rapid City Rush who scored a goal in the second period, his third consecutive game with a goal.

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What they’re saying

“While the Rush secured a valuable five points from the series, the overtime loss represents a significant setback in their pursuit of a playoff position, widening the gap between them and Tahoe with limited games remaining.”

— Expert Insight

What’s next

The Rush are currently tied for fifth place with Wichita. They will next face the Tulsa Oilers in a three-game series starting Wednesday, April 1st, at 7:05 p.m. MDT at The Monument Ice Arena.

The takeaway

The Rush's overtime loss to Tahoe has made their path to the playoffs more challenging, as they now trail the Knight Monsters by nine points with limited games remaining in the regular season. The team will need to regroup and focus on their upcoming series against Tulsa as they look to make a late-season push for a postseason berth.