Forward Aaron Maguyon scored a breakaway goal with 1:19 remaining in overtime to give the visiting Philadelphia Rebels a dramatic 4 – 3 over the New Jersey Titans after trailing in the game 3 – 0.
Netminder Eli Billing had to make several key saves to keep the Rebels in the game, and then he had to huge glove save with 1:39 left in overtime to keep the game tied.
The Titans would take a 1 – 0 lead on Chris Garbe’s third goal on the season. As both teams jockeyed for the puck along the far side board, the biscuit would be kept in at the point by New Jersey defenseman Spencer Stanley. The South Lyon, MI native would poke the puck up to Garbe at the top of the faceoff circle. Garbe would cut across the slot and take a wrister that beat Billing high glove side to put the home team on the board with 5:12 left in the opening period.
New Jersey would double their lead on Holden Biebel’s first NAHL goal at 6:28 into the second period.
Hunter Alden would make a crisp outlet pass to Kyler Head at center ice and the Titans forward would bring the puck into the Rebels zone along the far side boards. As Head skated to the corner he passed the puck to Alden at the faceoff dot. Alden immediately looked right and found Biebel wide open in the slot and the defenseman redirected the puck past Billing for a backdoor goal to make it 2 – 0 Titans.
Forty seconds later New Jersey would go up 3 – 0.
Andrew Husted would pass the puck from the bottom of his own far side faceoff circle over to Tyler Antonucci who carried the puck through the neutral zone. Antonucci entered the offensive zone and backhanded a pass to Matthew Cameron in the slot. Cameron would cut to his left and backhanded the puck past Billing’s blocker for his seventeenth goal on the season.
Just twenty-eight seconds after the Titans took a commanding lead, recently selected Top Prospect Tournament participant Eric “Red” Olson would give the Rebels their first goal and begin the improbable comeback.
After the ensuing faceoff, Auggie Moore would bring the puck into the Titans zone and send it behind the net where New Jersey defenseman Jimmy Dowd battled Adam Peck for it in the near side corner. Dowd would send the puck up along the boards where it was picked up by Moore near the point. Moore would send a bounce pass off the glass to Olson down low. Olson would cut across the slot and he backhanded the puck behind Titans goaltender Brandon Perrone to make it a 3 – 1 game with 12:30 left in the middle stanza.
The Rebels would cut the deficit in half with 2:34 into the third period. Luke Radetic would win the battle for the puck at the near side boards. He would pass it back to Carson Moniz at the point. Moniz would start to walk the blueline and took a long shot that Brandon Stanley redirected passed Perrone to make it a 3 – 2 game.
After Olson won the draw deep inside the Titans zone, the puck would go back to Nico Appendino at the far side point. Appendino would take a shot that was turned aside by Perrone but Olson picked up the rebound in the corner. Olson would pass the puck to Moore who was behind the Titans net. The Edina, MN native passed the puck to Ryan Patrick who was to left of Perrone. Patrick would circle and take a sharp angle shot that beat Perrone long side to tie the game at three with 6:03 left in regulation.
For the second straight game between these two teams, the contest would go into overtime.
Peck had a chance to win it early for the Rebels but he was robbed by Perrone in close. Later on, Alden would then bring the puck into the offensive zone and made a nifty move along the near side boards and skated towards the net. He took a quick wrister that Billing had to come up with a big glove save.
Peck then had another chance but Perrone made a blocker save. Once the puck bounced high off Perrone, Olson, who was trailing Peck, lost an edge and the loose rebound was picked up by Nick Boyagian. The Titans forward would skate end-to-end but Kolby Vegara would hustle to make a diving play to knock the puck off of Boyagian’s stick.
As the puck came out from behind the Rebels net it was picked up by Cameron. He went to pass the puck but it was intercepted by Maguyon. The Egg Harbor Twp native would skate through center ice all alone. As he entered the offensive zone and reached the top of the slot, Perrone raced out to try and poke check the puck but Maguyon skated towards his right and put the biscuit into the open net to give the Rebels the 4 – 3 win.
Billing stopped 29 of 32 shots while Perrone turned aside 41 of 45. Click here for the box score.
The win gave the Rebels a 6 – 3 record to close out a nine game road swing. The Rebels next home game will on Friday, February 16 at 7:10pm against the Northeast Generals.
