Despite trailing by three early in the third period, Charles Panchisin and Sonny Dinubile scored to bring the Rebels within one but it wasn’t enough as they fell to the visiting Rochester Jr. Americans 3 – 2 giving the Jr. Americans the weekend sweep.
Panchisin and Dinubile each had a pair of goals this weekend series.
Rochester’s Thomas Rockey opened the scoring with 7:10 remaining in the first period. The Jr. Americans’ Michael Sandruck picked up the loose puck along the far side boards and passed it to Rockey at center ice. As Rockey gained the line, he drop-passed the biscuit to Sandruck who took a shot that was saved by Rebels netminder Owen Crudale but the rebound came right out to Rockey who went around Crudale and deposited the puck into the back of the net for Rockey’s second goal of the weekend.
With forty-four seconds left in the first, Panchisin was called for high sticking to give Rochester the man advantage. Fourteen seconds later, Adam Gionta doubled the Jr. Americans lead. After Rochester won the draw deep inside the Rebels zone, the Jr. Americans looked to set up. Luca Leighton started the play just inside the blueline and he passed the puck to Gionta at the far wall. After successive return passes, Leighton skated towards the faceoff dot and passed the biscuit to Gionta in the high slot and Gionta took a clapper that found its way through a screen and past Crudale for Gionta’s tenth goal of the season.
After a scoreless second period, the Jr. American started the third on a five on three due to penalties to Klaus Jogi and Ryan Bunting at the end of the middle stanza. After Jogi’s stint in the sin bin was over, the Jr. Americans still had a minute remaining on the man advantage. Forty-one seconds into the final period, Leighton gave the visitors a three-goal lead. Similar to the Jr. American’s second goal, Gionta started the play at the apex of the slot and passed the biscuit over to Massimo Gentile at the top of the far side circle. Gentile took a wrister that was blocked out front but the rebound came out to Leighton who shot it into the open net to make it 3 – 0.
What was thought to be an insurmountable deficit, the Rebels didn’t fold. With 8:08 remaining in the third, Luke Minard was called for slashing to give Rochester the man advantage. Forty-eight seconds later Panchisin put the Rebels on the board. As the Jr. Americans’ Gabe Randel brought the puck into the offensive zone along the near side boards, he was knocked off the biscuit by Julian Brown and Max Marquette cleared the puck out of the zone and into center ice when Panchisin turned on the afterburners and picked up the loose biscuit and walked in all alone on Rochester’s netminder Florian Wade. Panchisin cut towards his right and deked around the fallen goalie and lifted the puck into the back of the net for his fourteenth goal of the season.
With 5:21 remaining in the game, Dinubile scored a powerplay goal to bring the Rebels within one. Bunting started the play at the far side hash marks and passed the biscuit to Luke deVries at the top of the slot. deVries took a shot the Dinubile redirected out front and past Wade.
Unfortunately, the comeback fell short. Despite being sweep by the Jr. Americans this weekend, the Rebels competed very hard both games.
Crudale stopped 29 of 31 shots while Wade turned aside 14 of 16. Click HERE for the complete box score.
The Rebels now will conclude their seven game homestand next weekend when they face the Johnstown Tomahawks for a pair of games.
