The visiting Jr. Americans scored four unanswered, first period goals en route to a 5 – 2 win over the Rebels to complete the weekend sweep between the teams. Rochester forward Calle Karlsson had a hat trick while Thomas Neu and Billy Sheridan lit the lamp for Philadelphia.
Karlsson opened the scoring at 6:30 of the first period. With play behind the Rebels net, the puck was rimmed around the near side boards where it as stopped by Jacob Reese at the point. Reese made a pass to Karlsson at the half wall and Karlsson stepped up and took a shot from the faceoff dot that found its way through a screen and past Rebels netminder Beau Lane to make it a 1 – 0 game.
With 9:23 remaining in the first, Karlsson scored his second consecutive goal. Rochester’s Friday night hero Adam Gionta received a wrap around pass behind the Rebels net. He then made a pass from behind the goal line to Karlsson in the slot and Karlsson took a one-timer that beat Lane to double Rochester’s lead.
Six minutes later Rochester made it 3 – 0 when Alex Zakrzewski took a clapper from the far side point that was redirected out front by Gabe Randal and past Lane for Randal’s first of the season. Lane was replaced by Owen Crudale between the pipes.
Former Danbury Hat Trick Wyatt Stefan gave Rochester a 4 – 0 lead with 1:02 remaining in the period after JC Humphreys fed Stefan with a nice pass and Stefan split the Rebels defense and took a shot that went through Crudale’s arm for Stefan’s fourth of the season.
Neu put the Rebels on the board at four minutes into the second period. Charlie Spencer brought the puck from his own far side half wall through center ice and into the offensive zone. As Spencer gained the line, he started to cut towards circling the net and made a backhanded pass through the slot to Neu who swiped the puck behind Rochester netminder Danick Leroux for Neu’s second goal in three games.
Sheridan cut the Rebels deficit in half with 4:23 remaining in the “spirited” second period. Nick Bianchi picked up the loose puck at his own slot and made a long stretch pass to Sheridan who had beat the Rochester defensemen and Sheridan walked in all alone on Leroux and beat him high, blocker side for Sheridan’s sixth goal of the season.
Karlsson completed the hat trick at 5:09 into the third period to close out the scoring and make it a 5 – 2 game. Lane and Crudale combined to stop 32 of 37 shots while Leroux turned aside 20 of 22. Click HERE for the complete box score.
The Rebels now will face the New Jersey Titans four consecutive times, which includes two, home-and-home series beginning next Friday night at the Middletown Sports Complex.
