The Philadelphia Rebels battled back twice but came up short in a 3–2 shootout loss to the Northeast Generals on Friday night at Hollydell Ice Arena.
Northeast opened the scoring less than 90 seconds into the game, but the Rebels responded quickly. Brayton Frick buried the equalizer just under three minutes later, pulling Philadelphia even before the first media timeout.
The Generals regained the lead in the second period, converting on a chance that put the Rebels back on their heels. But with 2:35 left in regulation, Dylan Moran delivered the clutch tying goal, forcing overtime and igniting the home crowd.
Goaltender Ilja Nikitins was stellar throughout, stopping 39 shots and turning aside the first five attempts he faced in the shootout. Northeast finally broke through in the sixth round, with Vinny Ipri netting the deciding goal.
Will Mizenko earned the win for the Generals with 30 saves and a perfect 6-for-6 performance in the shootout.
Philadelphia (11-14-1-4) finished with 32 shots on goal and went 0-for-2 on the power play, while Northeast (15-10-2-1) converted once on three opportunities and held a 41–32 shot advantage.
The Rebels return to action Saturday as the homestand continues.