SEWELL, N.J. — The Philadelphia Rebels hit the road this weekend for a critical East Division NAHL series against the Maine Nordiques, looking to climb the standings as the playoff race intensifies.
Philadelphia enters the series with a 14-16-2-5 record, sitting eighth in the East Division. This weekend marks the third and fourth meetings between the two squads and the first since the opening weekend of the season, when the Rebels went 0-1-0-1 against Maine.
Alex Lunski paces the Rebels with 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists), while Jordan Brothers has added 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists). Brayton Frick (16 points), Abzal Alibek (15), and Billy Sheridan (15) have also provided scoring, giving Philadelphia multiple offensive options. The team will need depth scoring to generate pressure on the road against a Nordiques team with a balanced attack.
Goaltending will be a major factor in the two-game set. Ilja Nikitins has been a steady presence in net, posting a 2.396 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage over 22 games, while Ben Varsa has backed him up with a 2.991 GAA and solid play between the pipes. The Rebels will also rely on a strong penalty kill to keep the Nordiques off the scoreboard.
Maine has won two of its last three games and posted a 6-3-1-0 record over its past 10 contests. The Nordiques are led offensively by Austin Borggaard (32 points) and Joe Gasperko (26), with key contributions from Damon Myers (26) and Marshall McCharles (24). Lukas Fursten anchors the net with a 2.033 GAA and a .930 save percentage.
Puck drop for the first game is scheduled for Friday at 7:30, followed by a second game on Saturday at 7:00.