The Philadelphia Rebels used balanced scoring from Kolby Vegara, Jimmy Glynn, Aaron Maguyon and Alex Frye to defeat the Johnstown Tomahawks 4 – 1 last night. The win enabled the visiting Rebels to split this weekend’s series between the two teams.
Johnstown’s “Young Guns” line started where they left off from Friday night’s victory when Haddonfield native Carson Briere opened the scoring for the Tomahawks.
With players from both teams battling for the puck along at the near side red line boards, the biscuit would come out to Christian Gorscak who headmanned the puck up to Joey Baez. As Baez entered the offensive zone, he skated towards the top of the faceoff circle and fell to his knees. The 2000 birth year had the wherewithal as he was falling to feather a pass across the slot to Briere who wristed the puck long side past Rebels goalie Ryan Keane to give the Tomahawks a 1 – 0 lead with 10:57 into the first period. It was the Tomahawks first shot on goal of the game.
Five minutes later Vegara would tie the game.
With the Rebels’ Carson Moniz and Johnstown’s Samuel Solensky off for coincidental cross-checking penalties the two teams would play four-on-four hockey for two minutes. With time winding down the Rebels would bring the puck into the offensive zone. Andrew Bellant would take a slapshot that was saved by Tomahawks goalie Kade Phipps but the deep rebound came back to Bellant by the near side faceoff circle. Bellant would pass the puck back to Vegara at the puck. After an exchange between the two, Bellant would send the puck to Vegara one last time and the veteran defenseman took a clapper that found its way through a screen to beat Phipps to make at 1 – 1 game.
After outshooting the Tomahawks 10 – 2 after one period of play, the Rebels looked to grow their lead in the second. As the penalty to Johnstown’s Cade Groton expired, Konur Peterson had the puck behind the Tomahawks net and he sent a pass back to Diarmad DiMurro at the far side point. During this time Jimmy Glynn would by cycling in the zone. DiMurro passed the puck down low to Glynn. As Glynn reached the top of the faceoff circle he took a backhander that found its way past Phipps and into the back of the net to give the Rebels a 2 – 1 lead just 4:07 into the second period. It was Glynn’s first goal on the season.
Johnstown’s Andy Nedeljkovic was called for tripping with 5:36 left in the middle stanza to give the Rebels the extra attacker. Nine seconds later the team with the number one powerplay in the league converted. After Jensen Zerban won the draw deep inside the Tomahawks zone, the puck would go back to Moniz near the point. Moniz would pass the puck back up to Zerban along the boards. Zerban would pass it down lower to Maguyon near the near side corner. Maguyon would skate towards the net. As Maguyon went to center a pass to Eric Olson in the slot he noticed that Phipps tried to anticipate the pass and Maguyon kept the puck and put it through Phipps’ five hole to make it a 3 – 1 game. It was Maguyon’s twelfth goal on the season.
The Rebels would go back on the powerplay with 8:45 left in regulation after Andrew Quetell was called for high sticking Ryan Patrick. With the Rebels looking to set up the play, DiMurro send the puck back to Nicolas Appendino at the point. Appendino would pass the puck to Fyre at the top of the near side faceoff circle. Frye would skate in closer towards the net and took a wrister that beat Phipps short side to make it a 4 – 1 game with 8:13 left in the game and close out the scoring.
Keane turned aside 19 of 20 shots while Phipps stopped 24 of 28. Click here for the box score.
Next weekend the Rebels will travel to New Jersey to play two games against the Titans.
