Rochester goalie Danick Leroux, playing in his NAHL debut, stopped all 21 shots he faced to lead the Jr. Americans to a 3 – 0 victory over the visiting Rebels to split the weekend series between the teams.
It was the third time this season the Rebels were shutout.
After a scoreless first period, the Rebels opened the middle stanza on the man advantage. Rochester’s Thomas Rockey received a four-minute penalty 1:23 remaining in the opening period and carried over. Just seventeen seconds into the middle stanza, Jr. American’s forward Luca Leighton scored a shorthanded goal (and eventual game winner) to give Rochester a 1 – 0 lead.
Trying to set up the play inside the offensive zone, Kris Samitis picked up the loose puck at the near side half wall and he went to send it back to Luke deVries at the point but it was intercepted by Massimo Gentile who skated through center ice and head manned the puck up to Leighton. Leighton spilt the Rebels defense and walked in all along on Rebels netminder Jakub Krbecek and Leighton beat the fallen Krbecek for Leighton’s thirteenth goal of the season.
The Jr. American’s doubled their lead at 9:28 into the third period on Clay O’Donnell’s fourth goal of the season. O’Donnell’s picked up the loose puck at the top of his own far side circle and skated along the boards and into the Rebels zone. As O’Donnell reached the faceoff circle, he took a wrist shot that hit the post and beat Krbecek long side.
Rochester’s Matteo Disipio scored an empty net goal with 1:09 remaining in the game to make it 3 – 0 and close out the scoring.
Krbecek turned aside 25 of 27 shots. Click HERE for the complete box score.
The Rebels return home next weekend to play the Maryland Black Bears for a pair of games. It will be the start of a seven game homestand for Philadelphia. They will play 12 of their next 14 games at home where they have won five of eleven games.
