The Kenai River Brown Bears scored three, third period goals to defeat the visiting Aston Rebels 4 – 1 last night at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. It was the Rebels first loss to the Bears in seven games played between last year and this season.
It was an up tempo game with minimal stoppages and penalties. The Rebels got on the board first with time winding down in the opening period. Andrew Bellant carried the puck into the Bears zone and cut across the goalmouth and tried to deke around Bears goalie Robbie Goor. Goor made an initial save then he made another save when the rebound came out to Drew Blackmun. Goor couldn’t contain Blackmun’s shot and the puck came out to the slot where Dom Garcia picked up the rebound and beat Goor high glove side with 1:20 left in the first period to give the Rebels a 1 – 0 lead. It was Garcia’s tenth goal on the season.
With 6:18 left in the second, Keani would knot the score. Jonathan Marzec had the puck deep inside his zone and he passed it up high in the neutral zone to Preston Weeks. As Weeks crossed over the blue line, he passed it to his left to Luke Radetic. Radetic skated down low and across the goalmouth and slid it through the pads of Rebels goalie Mareks Mitens.
At 4:15 into the third period, the Rebels turned the puck over just outside their nearside blue line. Radetic crossed over the blue line and passed to Marzec on his right. Marzec took a shot the Mitens made an initial blocker save but the rebound came out to Evan Butcher who put it behind Mitens to give the Bears a 2 – 1 lead. It was Butcher’s seventh goal on the season.
The Brown Bears would take a 3 – 1 lead with 8:44 left in the game. A Rebels defenseman tried to bounce the puck off the nearside boards to clear it out of the zone but it was intercepted by Butcher. Butcher passed it down low to Marzec who took a backhanded shot that beat Mitens long side for his seventh goal on the season.
Evan Stewart would cap the Brown Bears scoring with forty seven seconds left in the game when he scored an empty net goal.
Mitens stopped 16 of 19 shots while Goor turned aside 26 of 27 shots. Click here for the box score. The two teams will be back at it tonight at 11:30pm ET.
