The Rebels will conclude their second homestand of the season this weekend when they host the Johnstown Tomahawks for a pair of games this Friday and Saturday nights at the Hollydell Ice Arena. Puck drop for both games is 7:30PM. This is only the first of two times this season that the Rebels will play successive home contests.
Friday night is Flyers Night. Any fan who wears Flyer’s apparel will receive free admission. Flyer’s legend and general manage Danny Briere will be dropping the ceremonial first puck.
Saturday night has two promotions. The first is BOGO night. Any fan who purchased a full price ticket of $10 receives a second ticket for free. The second promotion is the Herr’s/Dunlop’s Family Fun Pak. A family can receive four tickets, four Chuck-A-Pucks, four bags of Herr’s Snacks and one, 16” pizza from Dunlop’s for only $40.
Tomahawks vs. Rebels Overview
This weekend will be an oddity of sorts because for the first time in the ten-year history of the NAHL’s East Division the Tomahawks will not have Head Coach Mike Letizia or assistant coach/equipment manager David Dunkleberger behind the bench. Letizia stepped down at the end of last season to become a hockey advisor while Dunkleberger stepped aside and is now working for the league. They were two of only three people remaining from the original East Division (one still remains).
Last season the Tomahawks won seven of the eight games played outscoring Philadelphia by a combined margin of 32 to 15. The Rebels went 2 for 26 (8%) on the powerplay while Johnstown went 3 for 19 (16%). Returners Charles Panchisin (1 goal and 4 assists) and Bill Sheridan (2 goals and 3 assists) each had five points against the Tomahawks.
Tomahawks Overview
Jared Kersner (head coach) and Alec Freyberger (assistant coach) enter their first season together behind the Tomahawks’ bench.
After the first week of the season, the Tomahawks are currently seventh in the division with a 1 – 1 record for two points (there are six teams in the East with two points). They spilt last weekend’s away series with the New Hampshire Mountain Kings losing the first game 7 – 1 and returning the favor the second night 6 – 1.
The Tomahawks have scored seven goals (ninth in the league), and they have allowed eight (30th in the league). They have converted on 14.29% of the chances on the man advantage (12th in the league), and their penalty kill is at 20% (last in the league).
Taybor Aldrich (1 goal and 1 assist), Ryan Flaherty (2 goals and 0 assists), Andrew Cowgill (2 assists) and Adam Ondris (1 goal and 1 assist) each have two points to lead the Tomahawks while Flaherty has the most goas (two). Flaherty has the lone game winning goal. Luke Sakala has a team best +3 while Isaac Rentmeester and Lukas Klemm (committed to Mercyhurst University) each lead the Tomahawks with 25 penalty minutes.
Johnstown’s goaltenders Tommy O’Donnell and Daniel Heroux have a combined 4.00 goals against average and .893 save percentage with no shutouts.
Rebels Overview
The Rebels enter this weekend in third place in the East Division with a 1-0-1-0 record for three points (four teams in the division have three points). They are coming off of a weekend home split against the Northeast Generals. They lost the first game 6 – 5 in overtime, and they then came back in the second game to win 6 – 5 in overtime (they scored four goals in the third to send it into the extra period).
Philadelphia has scored eleven goals (tied for first in the league), and they have allowed 11 (tied for last in the league). They have converted on 20% of the chances on the man advantage (6th in the league), and their penalty kill is at 75% (20th in the league).
Panchisin leads the team with four total points (1 goal and three assists – he is also is tied with seven others to lead the league with four points) while Brayton Frick (2 goals and 0 assists) and Ruslan Jamaldinov (2 goals and 0 assists) each have a team high two goals. Jamaldinov’s scored the game winner in OT during last Saturday’s game. Caesar Bjork, Brock Jones and Jamaldinov each have a team best +3. Jones has the most penalty minutes with eight.
Goaltenders Owen Crudale and Cole Werthman have a combined 5.39 goals against average and .819 save percentage with no shutouts.
After this weekend, the Rebels will leave early on in week and travel to Blaine, MN for the NAHL League Showcase. They will play the Wisconsin Windigo on Wednesday, September 25 at 5:30PM ET; Thursday, September 25 at 5:30PM ET against the Bismark Bobcats, and they will conclude the Showcase on Friday, September 27 at 12:45PM ET against the New Mexico Ice Wolves.
