The Rebels two games against the Northeast Generals this weekend were slightly different but had the same result: start off slow and then mount a come back. The only difference was the Rebels only had to overcome a one goal deficit last night.
The Rebels scored two goals within :36 seconds of each other in the third period to help the team complete a weekend sweep of the Generals. The team will now fly to the NAHL’s Showcase in Blaine, MN on Tuesday.
The Generals took it to the Rebels with a fast start in the opening period but goalie Jack Leavy made a couple of nice saves to keep the Rebels in the game. However, forward Andrew Bellant was called for roughing at the 15:09 mark of the first period to put the Generals on the power play. With the puck in the defensive zone, the Rebels cleared it into the offensive zone where Generals’ goalie Gabe Vinyl retrieved it and head man the puck to the right side of the rink to forward Max Brainin. Brainin carried the puck into the zone while beating a couple of Rebels and took a long side shot that beat Leavy to give the Generals a 1 – 0 lead with less than four minutes left in the period.
Despite outshooting the Generals 28 – 16 after two periods, the Rebels couldn’t put the puck past Vinyl. The start of the third period changed things.
After a center ice faceoff, forward Dom Garcia skated hard after the puck on the near side boards. The puck bounced off the boards where Drew Blackmun picked up the puck and brought it into the zone and took a nice wrist shot that beat Vinyl long side pass to tie the game at 1 two minutes in the third.
Thirty six seconds later, defenseman Brennan Kapcheck intercepted a Generals pass at center ice. Kapcheck carried the puck into the offensive zone untouched and took a wrist shot that beat Vinyl to put the Rebels up 2 – 1.
With a minute left in the game, the Generals pulled Vinyl for the extra attacker. With the puck in the Rebels zone, Kapcheck cleared the puck into the Generals zone as the puck went into an open net to give the Rebels a 3 – 1.
Leavy had 19 saves on 20 shots while Vinyl had 40 saves on 42 shots. Click here for the box score.
The team will fly out on Tuesday for the league’s showcase where the Rebels will play a total of four games against the Janesville Jets, Bismarck Bobcats, Minnesota Magicians and the Wichita Falls Wildcats.
