Paddy Fortune and Shawn Ramsey scored in a shootout to give the visiting Rebels a 3 – 2 win over the Rochester Jr. Americans. It was the Rebels fourth win in the skills competition this season. It also was Philadelphia’s second straight 3 – 2 shootout game in four nights but this time with a different result.
Kris Samitis opened the scoring just 1:42 into the game. Ramsey picked up the loose biscuit at the top of his own far side faceoff circle and he head manned the puck up to Fortune just outside the Rochester zone. As Fortune gained the line along the far side boards, he entered the offensive end on a two-on-one with Samitis. As Fortune reached the faceoff dot, he made a centering pass out front to Samitis who redirected the biscuit up and over Jr. Americans goalie Florian Wade to give the Rebels a 1 – 0 lead. It was Samitis’ team high twelfth goal of the season.
At 8:08 into the second period the Jr. Americans’ Massimo Gentile was called for slashing to give the Rebels the man advantage. Thirty-seven seconds later Ramsey doubled Philadelphia’s lead. Charles Panchisin started the play inside the offensive zone at the far side faceoff circle’s hash marks. Panchisin skated back along the boards and cut towards center ice and made a long cross-ice pass to Ramsey. After a couple of return passes between the players, Panchisin made one final return pass to Ramsey at the top of the near side point. Ramsey skated towards the top of the point and took a wrist shot that found its way through a screen and past Wade for Ramsey’s third goal of the season.
The Jr. Americans cut their lead in half with 4:42 remaining in the second. Gentile picked up the loose puck behind his own net and skated towards center ice and passed it up to Matteo Disipio. As Disipio gained the line along the near side boards, he made a cross-ice pass to Luca Leighton who took a wrist shot from the far side faceoff circle that was stopped by Rebels netminder Jakub Krbecek but the biscuit trickled off his pad and into the back of the net.
At 1:50 into the third period, Ramsey was called for holding to give the Jr. Americans the man advantage. As time was about to expire on the powerplay, Rochester’s Tyler Procious evened the score at two. As Gentile brought the puck into the offensive zone along the far side boards, he dropped it back to Leighton at the point and he immediately made a cross-ice pass to Disipio at the near side faceoff circle. Disipio made a quick tap pass to Procious out front and Procious backhanded the biscuit past Krbecek for his third goal of the season.
Both teams had their chances in the third but Wade and Krbecek had to make key saves to keep the score knotted at two and send it into overtime. After a scoreless overtime, it went to the skills competition where Fortune and Ramsey scored to give the Rebels the win.
Krbecek stopped 28 of 30 shots while Wade turned aside 25 of 27. Click HERE for the complete box score.
