The Rebels held a 2 – 1 lead going into the second period but the “visiting” Lone Star Brahmas scored two unanswered goals (the game winner in the third period) to earn a hard fought 3 – 2 come-from-behind victory.
The loss gave the Rebels a 2 – 2 record at the 20th Annual NAHL Showcase, and it evened their regular season record at 3 – 3.
This game essentially was a rematch of the 2017 NAHL Robertson Cup finals when the Brahmas surprisingly defeated the favored Rebels 3 – 0.
The Brahmas took a 1 – 0 lead at 7:27 into the first period. Lone Star’s Anthony Cappello picked up the loose puck behind the Rebels net and made a centering pass out front to Owen Kerr who took a clapper at the top of the slot that was blocked out front, but Avan Pyle picked up the rebound and put it past Rebels’ netminder Lukas Fursten for Pyle’s first goal of the season.
Luke Minard tied the game with 5:54 left in the first on a nice tic-tac-tow play. Lone Star’s Matyas Borak picked up the loose puck behind his own net, but he was stripped of it from Max Marquette at the end wall and Marquette made a centering pass out front to Minard who took a one-timer that beat Brahmas’ goalie Deivs Rolovs long side for Minard’s first goal of the season.
The Rebels took the lead with just thirteen seconds remaining in the opening period. Shawn Ramsey picked up the loose puck just outside his own zone. As he skated down the near side boards, Ramsey gained the line with a 4-on-2. As he reached the faceoff dot, Ramsey made a cross-ice pass to Kris Samitis who one-timed it past Rolovs long side to make it a 2 – 1 game.
Lone Star’s Spencer Sasenbury evened the score with 7:53 remaining in the middle stanza. The Brahmas’ Ryan Andor picked up the loose puck at the top of his own slot and sent a long outlet pass to Sasenbury just outside the offensive zone. Sasenbury skated all alone on Fursten and the Fayetteville, NY native beat Fursten long side.
The Brahmas’ Justin Kerr scored the game winner with 9:30 remaining in the third period. Playing four-on-four hockey with the puck behind the Rebels net, the biscuit came out to Lone Star’s Ray Murakami at the top of the slot. Murakami took a clapper that was blocked out front but the rebound came right out to Kerr who swung at the puck and it went past Fursten and into the back of the net to make it a 3 – 2 game and close out the scoring.
Fursten stopped 27 of 30 shots while Rolovs turned aside 26 of 28. Click here for the complete box score.
The Rebels will return home and play their home opening weekend next weekend for a two-game series against the Johnstown Tomahawks.
