Trailing 3 – 1 entering the third, the Rebels dominated the final period by taking 24 shots and Luke Janviriya and Charles Panchisin hit the back of the net to send it to overtime where Ryan Bunting scored with thirty-three seconds remaining in the extra frame to give visiting Philadelphia a 4 – 3 win to split the weekend series between the teams.
It was the Rebels second win in overtime this season.
After a scoreless first period in which a total of 18 shots were taken, Elmira’s Alexis Billequey scored 5:04 into the middle stanza to give the Aviators a 1 – 0 lead. Billequey picked up the loose puck at the top of the slot in the Rebels zone and sent it back to Isaac Barrett at the far side point. Barrett passed it down low to Kai Elkie who backhanded a shot that was saved by Rebels netminder Owen Crudale but the rebound came right out to Billequey who shot it into the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season.
The lead was short lived as twenty-six seconds later Ryan Vaites even the score. After Elmira’s netminder Carson Barnes made a save, the rebound came right out to Vaites who was caddy corner to Barnes. Vaites went behind and around the cage. As Vaites started to come out towards the front, he took a sharp angle shot that beat Barnes short side.
Elmira then scored to successive goals first starting with 7:56 into the middle stanza. With former Rebel Jett Otwell’s penalty about to expire and play within the offensive zone, the Rebels’ Abzal Alibek wasn’t able to keep the puck in and Elmira’s Andrew DellaDonna picked up the loose puck and skated down the near side boards and into the Rebels zone. As he gained the line, DellaDonna cut towards the slot and took a wrist shot the beat Crudale high glove side for DellaDonna’s third goal of the series.
Playing 4-on-3 hockey, the Aviators’ Ben Costantino scored with 1:02 remaining in the second period. After Elmira won the draw deep inside the Rebels zone, the puck ultimately went back to Costantino at the top of the point. Costantino took a snapshot that found its way through a screen and past Crudale high, blocker side to give the Aviators a 3 – 1 win.
Like the previous night, the Rebels didn’t have any quit in them. They applied ferocious pressure to get back into the game. With 7:31 remaining in regulation, Thomas Neu picked up the loose puck at the far side half wall and skated back to the point where he made a cross-ice pass to Mickey Conlon. Conlon skated down the near side boards, made a nice move around Otwell and made a pass from the bottom of the faceoff circle through the slot where it was redirected by Janviriya and past Barnes to make it a 3 – 2 game.
Two and a half minutes later Panchisin evened the score at three. After Janviriya picked up the loose puck at center ice, he passed it back to Conlon just inside his own zone. Conlon made a long stretch pass to Panchisin just outside the Aviators zone. As Panchisin gained the line, he split the two Elmira defenseman and walked in all alone and beat Barnes for Panchisin’s fourth goal of the season.
With regulation ending at three, it went into the extra period. With it looking as if the game would go into the skills competition, Bunting blocked a shot at the top of his own slot and the rebound was picked up by Jared Coccimiglio who skated down the far side boards and into the offensive zone. As Coccimiglio cut towards the middle of the slot, he took a shot that was saved by Barnes but the rebound came right out to Bunting who tapped the puck through Barnes’ five hole to win the game.
Crudale stopped 25 of 28 shotes while Barnes turned aside 47 of 51. Click HERE for the complete box score.
The Rebels will now play three straight games at home beginning Tuesday night when they host the New Jersey Titans and then next weekend went the Rochester Jr. Americans visit the Hollydell Ice Arena.
