Rebels Play home and home against Knights then home against Titans
The Rebels will be playing their final three games before the Christmas break this weekend. They will play a home-and-home series against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights on Friday (home) and Saturday (away) and then they will play the New Jersey Titans at home on Sunday.
This weekend will mark the ninth and tenth meetings between the Rebels and Knights. The Rebels have won seven of the eight games played. The last time these two teams met was last Friday when the Rebels withstood a Knights rally to win 5 – 3. The Rebels have outscored the Knights 36 – 16. Four of the seven Rebels wins against WBS have been at home. These two teams only will play each other twice after the break.
The Knights’ Curtis Carlson has six points (3 goals and 3 assists) against the Rebels. Carlson and Khristian Acosta each have scored three goals. The Knights are 3 for 21 on the power play against the Rebels. The goaltending tandem of Grant Valentine and Colt Hanks has a combined 4.50 goals against average and .874 save percentage.
Drew Blackmun leads the Rebels with 11 points (5 goals and 6 assists) against the Knights. Aaron Maguyon, Dom Garcia, Brennan Kapcheck, Andrew Bellant and Gianluca Esteves each have eight points against WBS. Bellant, Blackmun and Esteves have scored five goals respectively. The Rebels are 6 for 25 on the power play. Mareks Mitens and Jack Leavy have a combined 2.00 goals against average and .928 save percentage. Mitens has shutout the Knight twice.
The Rebels and Titans will play at IceWorks on Sunday. The Rebels have a 3 – 2 record against New Jersey including two shutouts (one each by Mitens and Leavy). The Rebels have outscored the Titans 18 – 9. The last time these two teams met the Titans defeated the Rebels 3 – 1 at Middletown’s Ice World.
New Jersey’s Anthony Cusanelli (2 goals and 1 assist) and Gordie Helmuth (1 goal and 2 assists) each have three points against the Rebels. Dylan Healy, Victor Ostling and Cusanelli have two goals apiece. New Jersey is three for 20 on the power player. The goaltending of Brandon Bussi, Harrison Feeney and Brandon Perrone have a combined 3.66 goals against average and .875 save percentage against the Rebels.
Defenseman Gvido Janson has seven points (2 goals and 5 assists) against New Jersey. Fellow blue liner Kapcheck has six points (4 goals and 2 assists). Kapcheck has four goals against the Titans. The Rebels are five for twenty seven on the power play against New Jersey. Mitens and Leavy have a combined 1.80 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights Overview
The Knights are in fourth place in the East Division with a 12-16-1-1 record for 26 points. The team is coming off a 1 – 0 loss to the Johnstown Tomahawks. WBS is led by Acosta’s 22 points (7 goals and 15 assists). Mike Gelatt (8 goals and 13 assists) has 21 points while Paul Maust has 18 points (6 goals and 12 assists). Gelatt leads the team with eight goals. Sam Antonitsch has two game winning goals.
Elijah Latimer has the most penalty minutes on the team with 56 while Acosta leads the Knights with a +9 +/- ratio. The Knights are last in the NAHL on the power play converting only 12.6% of their chances. WBS is tenth in the league on the penalty kill preventing their opponents from scoring 80.6% of the time.
Valentine and Hanks have a combined 3.26 goals against average and a .902 save percentage.
New Jersey Titans Overview
The Titans are in second place in the East Division, four points behind the Rebels. New Jersey has a 20-9-1 record for 41 points. They are coming off of a 2 – 0 win over the defending NAHL Champion Fairbanks Ice Dogs. The Titans are led by Helmuth’s 28 points (9 goals and 19 assists). Danny Eruzione has 27 points (8 goals and 19 assists) and Maxim Andreev has 26 points (7 goals and 19 assists). Cusanelli leads the team with 12 goals. Healy has three game winning goals.
Healy has the most penalty minutes on the team with fifty six. Eruzione and Ostling each have a +9 +/- percentage. New Jersey is sixth in the league on the power play converting 24.2% of the time while they are ranked fifth on the penalty kill preventing their opponents from scoring 83.7% of the time.
New Jersey’s goaltending has a 3.29 goals against average and a .899 save percentage.
Aston Rebels Overview
The Rebels lead the East Division with a 22-4-1 record for 45 points, the most in the North American Hockey League. The Rebels are coming off of a 5 – 3 win against Wilkes-Barre. Bellant (15 goals and 12 assists) and Garcia (8 goals and 19 assists) lead the Rebels with 27 point each. Kapcheck has 26 points (11 goals and 15 assists). Bellant leads the team with 15 goals. Bellant, Garcia and Kapcheck each have three game winning goals.
Bellant has the most penalty minutes on the team with 74. Solomon has an astonishing +24 +/- ratio. The Rebels are fifth in the league on the power play with a 24.3% conversion percentage while they are fourth in the league on the penalty kill preventing their opponents from scoring 84.4% of the time.
Mitens and Leavy have a 1.64 goals against average and a .933 save percentage.
Teddy Bear Toss
The Rebels will be having their second annual teddy bear toss on Sunday, December 18. All fans who bring a bear will receive $2 off the regular ticket price. Bears collected will be given to the charity of choice for the Aston Fire Department.
