Charlie Spencer scored a pair of goals to help lead the visiting Rebels to a 7 – 2 rout over the Elmira Aviators in game one of this important two-game series. The Rebels scored seven unanswered goals. Ethan McEneany, Ruslan Jamaldinov, Drew Belleson, Charles Panchisin and Abzal Alibek also lit the lamp. Panchisin’s goal ties him for the most points in Rebels franchise history.
With the win the Rebels leap frog into seventh place in the division and remain six points behind the sixth place New Hampshire Mountain Kings for the last and final playoff spot. The Mountain Kings defeated the Maine Nordiques 6 – 5 in overtime. It was the second time this season that the Rebels have scored seven goals in a game (the other was October 29 against New Jersey).
The game had an eerie resemblance to the first game played between these teams two weeks ago in Hollydell. After a scoreless first period, Nick Bianchi was called for tripping at the 7:35 mark of the second period to give Elmira the man advantage. The Aviators scored just ten seconds later to a 1 – 0 lead. Elmira’s Gavin Duckworth picked up the loose puck by the near side point and cut to his right. As he reached the top of the slot, he passed the biscuit Curtiss Sturgeon who was to the right of Rebels netminder Owen Crudale. Sturgeon cut towards the goalmouth and tucked the puck in long side past Crudale for Sturgeon’s seventeenth goal of the season.
Just like that first game, the Rebels answered the bell but this time went onto score seven consecutive goals starting with 8:1l remaining in the second on Spencer’s first of the game. With a scrum happening in the Aviators far side corner, Spencer was able to come away with the puck and he cut towards the net and took a wrist shot that beat Elmira netminder Wesley Jefferson-Swint II blocker side to even the score.
McEneany gave the Rebels a 2 – 1 lead with five minutes left in the second. Luke Janviriya picked up the loose puck at the top of his own slot and made pass up to McEneany just outside the offensive zone. As McEneany gained the line, he took a wrist shot that handcuffed Jefferson-Swint II and beat the netminder down low for McEnenay’s second goal of the season.
Jamaldinov made it 3 – 1 at 5:57 of the third period as a Rebels powerplay had just expired. Caesar Björk picked up the loose puck in the offensive zone at the near side half wall and sent the biscuit to Belleson at the point. Belleson took a shot that was saved by Jefferson-Swint II but the deep rebound came out to Jamaldinov at the far side faceoff circle and he took a snapshot that beat Jefferson-Swint II high glove side for Jamaldinov’s sixteenth goal of the season.
Just fifteen seconds later Spencer scored his second goal of the game to give the Rebels a 4 – 1 lead. After Brayton Frick won the ensuing faceoff, the puck went to Joe Stauber who dumped the puck deep into the Elmira far side corner. As the Aviators’ Andrew Piccirillo picked up the loose biscuit and skated towards the blueline, he tried to make an outlet pass to Sturgeon but Linas Dedinas broke up the play and the puck went to Frick in the slot. Frick took a shot that was save by Jefferson-Swint II but the rebound came out to Spencer who jammed the biscuit by the Elmira goalie and into the back of the net for his third goal of the season.
Belleson made it 5 – 1 at 8:50 of the third. Then Panchisin scored his fifteenth of the season with 4:45 remaining in the game. The goal now gives Panchisin 113 career points, tying him with Andrew Bellant with the most points in franchise history. Bellant is arguably the greatest forward in Rebels history.
Alibek make it 7 – 1 with 3:09 left in the third, and then Sturgeon scored his second of the game with three seconds remaining in the contest to make it 7 – 2 to close out the scoring.
Crudale turned aside 21 of 23 shots while Jefferson-Swint II turned aside 26 of 33. Click HERE for the complete box score.
