SEWELL, N.J. — The Philadelphia Rebels erupted for four first-period goals and never looked back, cruising to a 7–1 victory over the Northeast Generals on Friday night.
Dylan Moran set the tone early, scoring the first two goals of the game to give Philadelphia immediate momentum. Billy Sheridan followed with back-to-back goals later in the period, capping a dominant opening 20 minutes that saw the Rebels take a commanding 4–0 lead into the first intermission.
Northeast got on the board when Tyler Kelly scored on a breakaway to cut the deficit to 4–1 midway through the second period. Philadelphia quickly reasserted control, limiting the Generals to just one goal on the night and preventing any sustained push the rest of the way.
The Rebels put the game away in the third period with three more goals. Abzal Alibek continued his strong return to the lineup, scoring once and adding two assists on the night. Jake Schultz and Luke Janviriya also found the back of the net as Philadelphia stretched the lead to six.
Goaltender Ilja Nikitins was sharp in net for the Rebels, stopping 28 of 29 shots. He turned aside all eight shots he faced in the third period to close out the win. Northeast goaltender Will Mizenko made 19 saves on 26 shots in the loss.
Philadelphia finished 1-for-4 on the power play and held Northeast scoreless on its lone man-advantage opportunity.
The win marked Philadelphia’s first victory over Northeast this season after the Generals claimed the first two meetings in December. The Rebels and Generals will meet again on Saturday night at Hollydell Ice Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m., with live coverage available on NATV.