Rio Rancho NM – Somewhere on the concourse near Section 201, a shelter dog was waiting for a family Friday night, part of the New Mexico Goatheads’ every-game partnership with the Wiggly Butts Foundation. Down on the ice, the Rapid City Rush spent much of the night waiting for a puck to get past Nikita Novoselov.
Three got through in regulation. The fourth came 1:46 into overtime, when defenseman Jake Ratzlaff scored his first goal of the season to give the Rush a 4-3 win at the Rio Rancho Events Center. It was the only shot of the extra period.
The Rush are 4-2-0. New Mexico is 1-3-3.
A New Goalie, and an Early Hole
Rapid City played without its top goaltender. Calgary’s AHL affiliate recalled Owen Say Friday, along with defenseman Kyle Walker. That left the crease to Brett Mirwald, who came to Rapid City from Allen and was making his first start for the Rush.
The Goatheads scored first. At 4:16, Grant Ahcan, the first player the franchise ever signed, finished a play from Graeme McCrory and Francesco Arcuri for his second goal of the season. Rapid City outshot New Mexico 11-10 in the first period but couldn’t solve Novoselov, a Colorado Eagles goaltender making the start for the Goatheads.
Special Teams Take Over
The second period turned on special teams. Ryan Hofer took back-to-back minors for high-sticking and tripping, and on the second one Goatheads captain Derek Daschke scored his first goal of the season from one knee at 13:35. Daschke came in leading all ECHL defensemen with six assists.
Then the last two and a half minutes of the period produced three goals in 71 seconds.
With Rapid City on a 4-on-3, Quinn Olson scored at 17:43, with assists from Eric Parker and Ryan Wagner. Five seconds into a later Rush power play, Lynden Breen went the other way and beat Mirwald on a backhand for a shorthanded goal, with assists from Cameron Buhl and Noah Barlage. Breen’s white jersey was up for auction during the game. Wagner answered 21 seconds after that, scoring unassisted at 18:54 with two seconds left on the power play.
The Rush outshot New Mexico 17-6 in the second and still trailed 3-2.
Hofer Evens It, Ratzlaff Ends It
Hofer took an interference minor 3:48 into the third. Two and a half minutes later, he made up for it, scoring unassisted at 6:18 to tie the game 3-3.
Neither team scored on four third-period power plays. Rapid City outshot New Mexico 19-10 in the period, sending the game to overtime, where Ratzlaff needed only one shot.
The Rush power play, which head coach Dave Smith has said assistant coach John Mitchell runs, went 2-for-5. Rapid City killed four of New Mexico’s five power plays.
By the Numbers
- Shots: Rapid City 48, New Mexico 26.
- Goaltending: Mirwald made 23 saves on 26 shots for the win. Novoselov made 44 saves on 48 shots.
- Special teams: Rush 2-for-5, Goatheads 1-for-5. New Mexico also scored a shorthanded goal.
- Wagner’s night: one goal, one assist and a game-high nine shots.
- Arcuri’s night: two assists for New Mexico.
- Three stars: 1. Ryan Wagner (RC). 2. Francesco Arcuri (NM). 3. Quinn Olson (RC).
- Attendance: 4,451.
Roster Notes
- Recalls: Goaltender Owen Say and defenseman Kyle Walker were recalled by the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers before the game. Say came in 3-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
- In goal: Mirwald started, with Shane Farkas backing up.
- New Mexico: Forward Tyler Paquette, acquired from Greensboro on Thursday, did not dress.
A Familiar Building
The Rush last faced a New Mexico team in the Central Hockey League’s 2008-09 season, when the Scorpions played in this same arena, then called the Santa Ana Star Center. The Scorpions folded in 2009. The Goatheads are the first professional hockey team in the building since.
Up Next
The Rush and Goatheads finish the two-game series Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Rio Rancho Events Center, on the Goatheads’ Peanuts Halloween Night.
Sources: ECHL official game sheet (Oct. 30, 2026, unofficial final); Rapid City Rush roster transaction (Oct. 30, 2026); New Mexico Goatheads game preview and game-night social posts (Oct. 29-30, 2026); ECHL Today (Oct. 30, 2026); City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department, Wiggly Butts Foundation adoption event notice; Dave Smith, pregame interview, Rapid City Rush radio broadcast (Oct. 25, 2026, vs. Kansas City); reporter’s observation, Rush training camp (October 2026); New Mexico Scorpions team history.
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