Goaltender Eli Billing earned his second shutout in three games by turning aside all fifteen shots he faced to lead the visiting Philadelphia Rebels to a 4 – 0 victory over the New Jersey Titans. The win enabled the two team to split this weekend’s home-and-home series. Ironically, each team won their respective away game.
The Rebels entered this weekend’s series possessing a league best 28.7% on the powerplay. After scoring two more goals in Friday night’s game with the extra attacker, two of the Rebels four goals last night came with the man advantage.
Former Mercer Chief product Eric Manoukian was called for holding at 5:31 of the first period to give the Rebels the extra attacker. Thirty-four seconds later Adam Peck would score the Rebels first goal of the game, ultimately the game winner.
After Titans goalie Matt Ladd had to made successive saves, the rebound would go into New Jersey’s near side corner where Ryan Patrick would retrieve the puck. Patrick would send a pass back to Nico Appendino at the point. The Kempten, Germany native took a wrist shot that was slightly redirected by Peck out front and went through Ladd’s five hole to give the Rebels a 1 – 0 lead.
With 5:54 remaining in the second, Titans forward Justin Bofshever was called for a double minor to put the Rebels back on the powerplay.
After Ladd made a save, the puck went up high and bounced into the far side corner where it was picked up by Alex Frye. He would send a pass along the boards back to Appendino. The left-shot defenseman would pass it over to Carson Moniz who took a blast from the point that was saved by Ladd but Patrick tucked in the rebound to give the Rebels a 2 – 0 lead with 4:14 left in the middle stanza.
The Rebels would score their third straight powerplay goal when Titans’ forward Nick Boyagian was called for holding at 8:43 into the final period.
Frye would battle for the puck at the top of the near side faceoff circle in the Titans zone. As he was falling, Frye was able to send a shuttle pass to Patrick at the dot. Patrick looked up and saw Moniz in the slot. Patrick fed Moniz with a crisp pass and the Rebels’ defenseman took a one-timer that beat Ladd stick side to make it a 3 – 0 game with 9:35 left in the game.
Jensen Zerban would close out the scoring with his sixteenth goal on the season with 4:15 left in the game.
Aaron Maguyon would bring the puck into the Titans zone. As soon as he skated over the blueline, he passed the puck to Patrick on this right. Patrick passed the puck downlow to Zerban who immediately sent a return pass back to Patrick in the slot. Patrick took a wrister that was saved by Ladd but Zerban picked up the rebound and put it into an empty net to make it a 4 – 0 game.
Billing was playing in his fifth consecutive game. Ladd stopped 20 of 24 shots he faced. Click here for the box score.
It was the third of five straight games between these two teams with the Rebels having won two of three. They will play the last two games next weekend at Middletown’s Ice World.
