Defenseman Carson Moniz’s scored with 2:03 left in overtime to give the Rebels a 4 – 3 win over the visiting Northeast Generals. It was Moniz’s second goal of the game. The victory gave the Rebels five points out of a possible six during this weekend’s three game series between the two teams.
With 4:13 into the opening period Northeast’s defenseman Colin McCabe was called for tripping to put the Rebels on the powerplay. As time was about to expire with the extra attacker, Diarmad DiMurro was bringing the puck up out of his zone and left a drop pass for Moniz at his own blue line. Moniz immediately sent a pass to Friday night’s star Ryan Patrick along the far side boards. As Patrick skated into the zone he immediately stopped at the top of the faceoff circle and passed it back to moving Moniz who took a one-timer that beat Northeast goalie David Fessenden short side to give the Rebels a 1 – 0 lead at 6:11 into the first period.
After Fessenden fanned on a clearing pass behind his own net defenseman Sviatoslov Kuchynski would pick up the puck and send a pass up to Matthew Rutigliano at center ice. Rutigliano would enter the Rebels zone on a two on one. As Rutigliano skated to the far side faceoff circle he took a shot that was saved by Eli Billing but the deep rebound came back to Kuchynski who was following up on the play and he took a wrist shot that beat Billing to tie the game with 10:18 left in the first.
With Jordin Holmes’ penalty expiring, Northeast forward Brady Gaudette had the puck at the top of the near side faceoff circle. He sent a high cross-ice pass to Louis Boudon. Boudon would catch and drop the puck to the ice and skate to the bottom of the far side faceoff circle. Boudon sent a pass back to Justin Jallen. Jallen took a slapshot that was saved by Billing but the rebound came out to Boudon who was to the left of Billing and he knocked in to give the Generals a 2 – 1 lead with 6:30 left in the second.
With two seconds remaining in the middle period and the faceoff in the Generals zone, head coach Joe Coombs pulled Billing for the extra attacker. Adam Peck would take the draw at the far side dot. Peck won the draw as the puck immediately went to Auggie Moore on his right. Moore guided the puck back to Eric Olson who took a one-timer that beat Fessenden glove side to tie the game at two.
With the game tied going into the third period, Jensen Zerban would with the draw at his own far side faceoff circle. The puck would go back to Bryant Gunn who sent a pass back to Kolby Vegara behind his own net. Vegara looked to set up the play and brought the puck out of his own zone along the near side boards. Vegara took it end to end. As Vegara started to cut across the goal mouth he snuck the puck between Fessenden’s legs and into the net to give the Rebels a 3 – 2 lead with 14:08 left in the period.
With 1:59 left in the game, Northeast head coach Bryan Erickson called a time out. Colin Bilek would win the draw deep inside the Rebels zone. The puck would go back Jallen who was at the top of the near side circle. Jallen took a shot that was tipped up in the air in front of the Rebels net. The puck would go over a fallen Billing and Kuchynski jammed in the loose puck to tie the game at three with 1:57 remaining.
Like the first game of this series, this game was going to overtime and the Rebels wanted a different outcome. With 2:25 left in the extra period, Andrew Bellant would bring the puck up along the near side boards and into the Generals zone. Bellant went to pass the puck to Olson at the top of the slot but the puck was touched by a Northeast defender. As the puck was going out of the zone, Moniz kept it in at the far side blueline and passed the puck down low to Olson. Olson went to make a pass out front to Peck but it was blocked and the puck came out to Moniz in the slot and he took a shot that beat Fessenden high glove side to win the game.
Fessenden turned aside 25 of 29 shots while Billing stopped 24 of 27. Click here for the box score.
By earning give points this weekend and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights being swept by the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, the Rebels now lead the East Division by four points over the Knights. The two teams will meet next Friday and Saturday at the Class of 1923 Arena.
