Ryan Bunting had a pair of goals while Luke Janviriya, Ruslan Jamaldinov, Brayton Frick and Nick Bianchi also lit the lamp to lead the Rebels to a 6 – 2 win over the visiting Maryland Black Bears to split the weekend series between the teams. Coupled with New Hampshire’s victory over Danbury, the Rebels win keeps them within four points of the Mountain Kings for the sixth and final playoff spot with five games remaining in the season.
After a scoreless first period, Janviriya opened the scoring just thirty-six seconds into the middle stanza. Janviriya started the rush from the top of his own near side faceoff circle and carried the puck up into center ice where he passed the biscuit to Charlie Spencer breaking down the wing. As Spencer gained the offensive zone line, he made a drop pass to Janviriya who skated to the faceoff dot and made a centering pass out front to Abzal Alibek. Alibek took a shot that was saved by Black Bears goalie Ryan Denes but the rebound came right out to Janvirya, who was to the left of Denes, who jammed the puck into the back of the net for his seventh goal of the season.
Jamaldinov doubled the Rebels lead with 9:28 of the second. Billy Sheridan picked up the loose puck in the Maryland zone at the top of the near side faceoff circle and passed the biscuit to Jamaldinov at the dot. Jamaldinov circled towards his right and started to carry the puck back along the boards and then towards the top of the slot. As Jamaldinov cut towards the middle of the ice, he took a long wrist shot that found its way through a screen and past Denes for Jamaldinov’s third goal of the weekend and gives him twenty on the season for the team lead.
With 6:13 left in the second, Luke Janus cut Maryland’s deficit to one. With a scrum behind the Rebels net, Black Bear Sebastian Speck picked up the loose puck and send it back to Sebastien Brockman and the near side point. Brockman stepped up and took a wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle that was redirected out front by Janus and past Rebels netminder Owen Crude for Janus’ second goal of the weekend.
A minute later Frick made it 3 – 1. After Charlie Spencer won the draw deep inside the Black Bears end, the puck went back to Janviriya at the far side point. Janviriya sent the biscuit to Drew Belleson on his right. Belleson made a return pass to Janviriya who skated to the faceoff dot and made a cross-ice pass to Alibek who took a shot from just inside the near side circle that went off of Frick in the slot and past Denes for Frick’s sixth goal of the season and first since January 24 against the Maine Nordiques.
Dylan Gordon brought the Black Bears within one just 2:06 into the third period. Maryland’s Kareem El Bashir carried the puck up from just outside his own end, through center ice and into the offensive zone. As El Bashir gained the line, he passed the biscuit to Isac Nielsen on his right. Nielsen made beautiful cross-ice pass from just inside the zone along the near side boards to Gordon at the bottom of the far side faceoff circle and Gordon took a shot that beat Crudale for Gordon’s fifth of the season.
The Rebels regained their two-goal lead five minutes later. With a scrum behind the Rebels net, Spencer picked up the loose puck and sent it up to Alibek breaking down the near side boards. As Alibek gained the line, he took a clapper from the top of the faceoff circle that was saved by Denes but the deep rebound came out to a trailing Bianchi in slot. Bianchi turned and took a shot that beat Denes long side for Bianchi’s third goal of the season.
Janus was called for goalie interference with five minutes left in the game to give the Rebels the man advantage. Forty-nine seconds later, Bunting scored his first of the game. Janviriya started the play when he took a wrist shot from the near side faceoff circle that went off Marko Bilic’s left leg pad and back to Charles Panchisin at the far side point. Panchisin made a pass to Janviriya in the circle. As Janviriya cut towards the slot, he made a pass down low to Bunting, who was to the left of Blilic, by the goal line. Bunting took a one-timer that beat Blilic short side to make it a 5 – 2 game.
With his assist on Bunting’s first goal, Panchisin now becomes the Rebels all-time point leader in franchise history with 115 points surpassing legendary Rebel Andrew Bellant.
Bunting scored an empty net goal with a minute remaining to make it a 6 – 2 game.
Crudale and Anthony Sciere – who replaced Crudale with three minutes remaining in the game when Crudale was ejected for fighting – combined to stop 39 of 41 shots while Maryland’s netminders combined to turn aside 18 of 23. Click HERE for the complete box score.
The Rebels will travel to the Middletown Sports Complex on Tuesday to face the New Jersey Titans to complete the season series between the teams, and then the Rebels will have consecutive home and home series against the Hat Tricks to close out the season.
