The Philadelphia Rebels scored four unanswered goals in the third period en route to a 6 – 2 victory over the visiting Northeast Generals to end the team’s first ever three-game losing streak.
Despite being outshot in the first period 11 – 7, the Generals got on the board first with twenty seconds left in the opening period on Matt Demelis’ sixteenth goal on the season.
As the period was winding down, Northeast’s defenseman Michael Higgins would pick up the loose puck in his own zone and bring it up along the near side boards. After gaining the line and entering the offensive zone, he would take the puck near the Rebels net. Higgins would try and center the puck out into the slot but it blocked by Nico Appendino. Higgins would pick it up and pass it out to the top of the far side circle to Demelis who took a shot that was deflected out in front passed Rebels netminder Ryan Keane to give the Generals a 1 – 0 lead going into intermission.
The Rebels would tie the game on Chase Hamstad’s second goal of the season. As the puck went to the far side boards, Hamstad would pick up the biscuit and skate behind the Generals net and pass it back to Diarmad DiMurro at the point. DiMurro would take a sharp angle shot that was blocked out in front and Hamstad picked up the rebound and knocked it past Northeast’s goalie David Fessenden to knot the game at one with 2:25 into the second period.
The Rebels would take the lead with 3:04 left in the second. Northeast would dump the puck into the Rebels zone where it was picked up by DiMurro at his own blueline. DiMurro would pass it up to Hamstad at the red line and the White Bear Lake, MN native sent a nice touch-pass to a streaking Jensen Zerban. The Air Force Academy commit would enter the offensive zone on a two-on-one with Aaron Maguyon. As Zerban skated to the top of the circle he passed the puck to Maguyon on his right and Maguyon took a wrister that beat Fessenden glove side to make it a 2 – 1 game.
The Generals would tie it just forty-five seconds into the final period.
As the Generals dumped the puck into the Rebels zone, defenseman Seth Bergeron went into the corner to puck up the loose puck but fell awkwardly into the boards. The puck would start to roll behind the Rebels net where Northeast’s forward Jeff Skinner was able to fight off Eric Olson for the puck. Skinner would skate towards the far side circle and found a breaking Alex Cohen in the slot. Cohen one-timed it passed Keane for his tenth goal on the season to make it a 2 – 2 game.
Maguyon’s second goal of the game at 5:37 into the third would give the Rebels the lead for good.
Appendino would keep the puck in the offensive zone after Skinner attempted to clear the puck. Appendino would look to his right and pass it over to Kolby Vegara. The University of Massachusetts commit would pass it up to Ryan Patrick at the top of the slot. Patrick would make backhanded pass to Maguyon who wristed the puck by Fessenden to give the Rebels a 3 – 2 lead.
At the 8:41 mark the Rebels went on their fourth powerplay of the evening after Northeast’s forward Brendan White lost his helmet. Instead of immediately going to the bench, White continued to play and was called for illegal equipment.
As time was winding down with the extra attacker, Maguyon was at the top of the slot and took a shot that was saved by Fessenden but the rebound came out to Zerban. The speedy forward took a sharp angle shot that saved by Fessenden but the rebound came out to Brandon Stanley who put the puck past the fallen netminder to give the Rebels a 4 – 2 lead with 9:51 left in the game.
Alex Frye would give the Rebels a 5 – 2 lead on a beautiful setup from Bergeron and Carson Moniz.
Konur Peterson would close out the scoring with two minutes left on the game for the Rebels second powerplay goal of the game.
Keane stopped 13 of 15 shots while Fessenden turned aside 36 of 42. Click here for the box score.
The two teams will close out the three-game series tonight on Billet/Fan appreciation night. All fans who attend the game will receive a free deck of Rebels trading cards.
