Tag Archives: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

News, Uncategorized

Rebels lock up 2nd place

This past weekend the Rebels hosted their second-straight weekend of home games. This time though it was against a team that was out of a playoff spot by one point. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights came to the Empire State for the final regular season meeting against the Rebels. Jamestown led the season series 8-1-1. When 2018 ended, the Rebels had won six-straight versus Wilkes-Barre. When the calendar turned so did the Knights. These two teams played their first four games of 2019 against each other with both weekends resulting in a split series.

Friday’s game was a chess match. The Knights had won seven of their last ten games and were certainly not going to back down against the fourth best team in the league. For the first time in five games the Rebels had a new goalie between the pipes. It was Ryan Keane’s first game since February 23rd, not only that but, it was also his 21st birthday. All the way down the other end of the ice was Zach Stejskal. He was playing in his fourth-straight game which also marked 13 of the last 14 for his squad. Due to him playing so frequently he came into the weekend ranked as the 15th best goalie with a 2.46 goals-against-average. Also, he led all goalies in saves (1394) and save percentage (.937%). It took more than 50 minutes for someone to break the scoreless game. Knights’ forward Tyrone Bronte scored 11:24 into the final period of regulation. After their goal, the Knights kept applying pressure which resulted in Jake Fuss scoring on the power play. With time winding down in the game the Rebels threw everything they could at Stejskal but were unable to beat the, 6’4” 210lb net-minder from Grand Rapids, MN. Resulting in the third time the Rebels have been shutout this season. It also ended their five-game point streak and put Wilkes-Barre into a playoff spot.

The following night, Jamestown was out for revenge. Both teams played the same goalies giving us another goaltending battle. In the 1st period it was Jake Fuss putting his team up 1-0 with under two minutes left in the period. That was also his third-straight game with a goal. With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner the Rebels were hoping to get some luck on their side. As the Knights attempted to clear their zone the puck hit the referee’s skate keeping it onside for the Rebels. Due to the confusion the Rebels were able to catch the Knights off guard by getting the puck to Hunter Johannes (13) as he went in one-on-one with Stejskal and scored to tie the game at 1-1. The 3rd period started tied at 1-1 but the Rebels were determined to gain their first lead of the weekend. Before the halfway point in the final period, Jake Felker (17) crashed the night to put home a rebound giving the Rebels a 2-1 lead. Keane made a spectacular save late in the game to keep the Rebels up 2-1. It was a cross-ice pass that set a Knight player up for a good shot on Keane, but he was robbed by the 2nd best goalie in the league. With under a minute to go in regulation Stejskal was pulled to put an extra attacker out for the Knights in hopes they could tie the game and at least gain three points on the weekend. Jamestown would not let that happen as Jim Glynn (9) was able to bring the puck out of his zone and score on the empty net. Giving the Rebels a 3-1 victory when the horn sounded. It also was Keane’s first win since February 13th. Over the weekend Nick Stuckless and Jim Glynn played in their 100th NAHL game.

With their win, Jamestown can now look ahead to having home ice advantage in the first round of the 2019 Robertson Cup Playoffs. The Rebels do not know who they will be playing in the first round of the playoffs but if it started today, they would face the team they play this weekend, the New Jersey Titans. While the Titans are eight points ahead of 4th place Northeast, the Generals play 5th place Wilkes-Barre this weekend for a three-game series which will have huge playoff implications on the line. Since the Knights did not pick up a point on Saturday, they were knocked out of a playoff spot due to Northeast splitting the weekend with Johnstown. The East Division could look a lot different come Monday depending on how this weekend plays out for the 3rd to 5th place teams.

News, Uncategorized

Rebels look to extend point-streak to 7

Jamestown Rebels (31-13-5-3, 70pts) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (21-26-3-1, 46pts)

at Northwest Arena in Jamestown, NY

Time: 7:05 p.m.

Broadcast: HockeyTV

 

 

What You Need to Know:

Season Series: 8-1-1

Leading Scorers:

JMT: 52pts, Frye (28g-24a)

WBS: 34pts, Guillemain (10g-24a)

 

HOME SWEET HOME:

The Rebels will end their four-straight games on home ice this weekend when they take on the 5th place Knights. It will also end the regular-season series between these two teams. In their last 10 games at the Northwest Arena the Rebels are 7-2-1, putting up 33 goals for and allowing 19. Their overall home record is 17-8-1, which is the 6th best in the league. This past weekend they swept the New Jersey Titans and are now on a five-game point streak. Jamestown scored 11 goals through the two games and Noah West only allowed one each night.

 

ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN:

Wilkes-Barre is coming off a 2-1 overtime win against the New Jersey Titans, putting them one point back of Northeast for the last playoff spot. The Knights and Generals play each other three times next weekend which could determine who will see post-season action. The Knights have made the playoffs every year since they became a team in 2015-16. Wilkes-Barre is 7-3 in their past ten games which has kept them alive in the playoff hunt. From here on out every game for them will be crucial as they have just nine games left until the 2018-19 regular season comes to a close.

 

NOAH WEST:

A main reason why the Rebels are on a hot streak right now is because of their rookie goaltender, who has been playing like he has been in the league for years. West has played the past five games (team high). It all began when he picked up his 3rd shutout of the season against Maryland on March 1st, all his shutouts are against the Black Bears. He followed that up by allowing three goals the next two games, resulting in a sweep over MYD and a close OTL to Johnstown. With his performance this past weekend, West has moved up to 13th overall for goalies with a 2.40 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .907%. He has an overall record of 11-4-4-1.

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

REBELS (F: #26 – Niki Jasko)

Ever since the Rebels franchise started back in ’08 as the Wenatchee Wild there has been at least one player to record a hat trick during the season. Well the streak will live on, as this past Saturday, Niki Jasko put three in the back of the net. The night before he scored two goals becoming the 13th player this season to do so. On Saturday, he scored the Rebels first goal, just like he did the previous two games. He scored five out of the 11 goals the Rebels put up on New Jersey last weekend. Jasko became the second-straight Rebel player to be named East Division Star of the Week, after scoring six goals in three games. The Slovakian native is in his last year of junior hockey and is looking to finish strong as he now has 13 goals on the season (11 with JMT).

 

KNIGHTS (F: #11 – Jake Fuss)

It is a no-brainer to go with Fuss for this as he was the hero for them just a few nights ago. In the Tuesday game against New Jersey, Fuss not only picked up a helper but also scored the game-winning goal in OT to put his team one point out of a playoff spot (1st GWG of his career). The Connecticut native is in his 3rd year with the Knights totaling 71 regular-season games played (12g-19a). He is 5th on his team in scoring with 27 points (10g-17a). Fuss has played in every game between these two teams this season and has recorded three assists.

News, Uncategorized

Pink The Rink

Jamestown Rebels (27-11-4-3, 61pts) vs. Northeast Generals (15-20-6-3, 39pts)

at Northwest Arena in Jamestown, NY

Time: 7:05 p.m.

Broadcast: HockeyTV

 

 

What You Need to Know:

Season Series: 2-2

Leading Scorers:

JMT: 43pts, Frye (25g-18a)

NTE: 54pts, Boudon (16g-38a)

 

SOMETHING SPECIAL:

This weekend the Rebels host the Generals for just the second time this season. It will also be the last time Northeast will visit the Empire State during the regular season. The previous time they came to the Northwest Arena was back on Nov. 9th-10th. During that weekend the Rebels dawned their military jerseys. This weekend they will be wearing breast cancer awareness jerseys for both games. It will be a PINK OUT at the Northwest Arena this weekend, so make sure if you come out to either game to wear pink! There will be all sorts of ways to win a breast cancer awareness jersey, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the WCA Foundation.

 

PLAYOFF PUSH:

With the Rebels sitting comfortably in 2nd place they are just a few wins away from clinching a playoff spot. Whereas the Generals are only one point away from being knocked out of a playoff spot. They have Wilkes-Barre breathing down their necks, so this weekend is crucial for the Generals if they want to see post-season action. Even though Northeast is currently in 4th place they are only five games back of New Jersey and if things heat up for the Generals, they could surpass the Titans which could lead to the Rebels hosting the Generals in the first round of playoffs. The Rebels must put the blinders on and focus on the task at hand this weekend and that’s sweeping the Generals for the first time this season. If they can do so, they will be that much closer to the Robertson Cup.

 

TOP PROSPECTS TOURNAMENT:

Over the past few days players from every team traveled to Attleboro, MA where the Generals play for the annual TPT. Players that were not committed to a college represented their division. While those that were committed played for either the Selects Red or Blue team. The Rebels sent six players and Head Coach Joe Coombs to represent Jamestown, NY. Auggie Moore and Ryan Keane were among the six players for the Rebels and both played for the East Division. In their first game both made highlight reel plays that ended up all over social media. Here are how our guys faired; Moore (1g), Sam Anzai (1a), Nick Petruolo (1a), Colin Schmidt (1g-2a) and Keane (39SA-36SVS). The Generals sent four players and getting on the scoring sheet for them were Matthew Rutigliano (1g), Alex Cohen (1a), and Ryan Rowland (1a).

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

REBELS (F: #12 – Sam Anzai)

Anzai is currently on a two-game point streak (3a) and was named honorable mention for the East Division Star of the Week. He picked up two assists during the game in Johnstown this past Friday and without his tremendous pressure in the offensive zone Jake Felker might not have left Johnstown with a goal. Sam is eighth on the team in scoring (6g-16a) and in his last seven games there has only been one time in which he did not pick up a point by the time the final horn sounded. He put on a great display of his talents in front of many NCAA D1 scouts and NHL scouts at the TPT by picking up an assist on Moore’s game-winning goal. The Los Angeles, CA native is surely making his last year of junior hockey one to remember.

 

GENERALS (F: #15 – Louis Boudon)

It is a no-brainer that Boudon is the reason his team finds themselves in a playoff spot near the end of February. He is ranked sixth overall in the league in points (54) and leads his team in goals (16) and assists (38). He also has ten power-play assists (team high), no other player has more than four. The Lake Superior State University commit is in his third year with the Generals totaling 97 games played (35g-70a). Boudon is averaging a point-per game against the Rebels (1g-3a). The Grenoble, France native is also is his last year of junior hockey and he too is making it one for the books.

News, Uncategorized

Weekend Preview 2/8-2/9: Rebels vs. Titans

Jamestown Rebels (24-11-3-3, 54pts) vs. New Jersey Titans (22-20, 44pts)

at Northwest Arena in Jamestown, NY

Time: 7:05 p.m.

Broadcast: HockeyTV

 

 

What You Need to Know:

Season Series: 2-2-1-1

Leading Scorers:

JMT: 39pts, Frye (22g-17a)

NJT: 43pts, Naumovski (13g-30a)

 

REVENGE:

This weekend marks only the second time this season that New Jersey will be visiting the Empire State. Their previous trip here was the Rebels home opening weekend back on Oct.12th-13th. A weekend that ended in two losses for the home town crowd in their new building. Since those two losses the Rebels have went 20-5-3-3, compared to the Titans who have went 15-15. The opening weekend for the Rebels was also the last time they lost in regulation to the Titans, going 2-1-1. With the Titans loss yesterday to Wilkes-Barre they remain ten points back of Jamestown. The Rebels are looking to get back into the win column and if they secure a win this weekend it would give them a home ice victory over every team in the East.

 

EXTRA HOCKEY:

The Titans are the only team in the league to have not lost a game in either overtime or shootout this season. With two out of the six meetings between these two teams being decided in extra hockey, this weekend will certainly be close from start to finish. New Jersey is the sixth best team in the league when games go past 60 minutes, the Rebels are second to last. Jamestown is one of six teams to not have won a game in 3-on-3 overtime.

 

FINAL THIRD:

Both teams come into this weekend with less than 20 games left in the regular season. While they both currently occupy a playoff spot, the Titans are as many games back of the Rebels as they are ahead of the fifth place Knights. The Rebels have 19 games left, 11 of those will be played on home ice. New Jersey has 18 games left in this 2018-2019 campaign and they only have nine more at home. Including this weekend there are six total meetings between these two East Division rivals still to be played. This weekend will mark two out of three straight home games for the Rebels, as they host Johnstown on the 13th at 11 a.m.

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

REBELS (F: #23 – Antonio Venuto)

Venuto is currently on a three-game point streak (2g-3a), all three of his assists coming in the game versus Maryland on Jan. 26th. He is tied for third on the team in scoring (12g-9a) and recorded the only two goals for the Rebels last weekend in Johnstown. With his power-play goal last Friday he now ties Nick Stuckless and Colin Schmidt for most on the team. He is also third on the team in goals.

 

TITANS (F: #8 – Ryan Naumovski)

The Niagara University commit leads his team in assists (30) and points (43). Naumovski is just one of four New Jersey players to have played in all 42 games for them thus far, he is the only player on his team averaging over a point-per game (1.02). Not only does he draw a lot of attention while on even strength but the same is to be said when the Titans are on the man-advantage, because Naumovski has 11 power-play assists (most on the team). He has spent his entire NAHL career with the Titans, dating back to 2016-2017, accumulating 97 games played (30g-59a).

News, Uncategorized

Rebels vs. Tomahawks

This weekend the Rebels will make their second trip to Johnstown, PA. The previous meeting was the Tomahawks home opener weekend in which the Rebels spoiled the fun by winning the first game. It will be the best team in the league (Johnstown) versus the fifth best team in the league (Jamestown). The Rebels are coming off a sweep against the Maryland Black Bears and are also on a six-game point streak (one shy of season high), they have an overall record of 24-10-3-2 (53pts). As for the Tomahawks they were swept for the first time this season and lost their first back-to-back games since Sep. 20th-21st. They go into this weekend with an overall record of 33-6-0-1 (67pts). Johnstown leads the season series 3-2. Both of their losses came by a final of 4-1.

 

Blood In The Water:

It is shocking to say this but, Johnstown has been struggling these past two weeks. It started out with a weekend series versus last place Wilkes-Barre, in which both games the Tomahawks won in overtime. Then there was this past weekend which had the entire league stunned. The Northeast Generals swept the best team in the league. The Tomahawks lost the first game 2-1, then lost in a shootout the next night 5-4. While Johnstown was able to get a point out of the weekend, if they are finally starting to cool off now is the time for Jamestown to strike! Jamestown will face Johnstown a total of four times in the month of February. Each game will be crucial if the Rebels want to have a shot at winning the East when the regular season ends Apr. 6th. If the Rebels sweep Johnstown this weekend in regulation, they will only be five games back.

 

Special Teams:

The Johnstown Tomahawks have the third best power-play percentage in the league at 27.8%, as well as the third best penalty-kill percentage with an 85.5%. The Rebels rose in the power play rankings after this past weekend going 2/5, putting them in 15th with a 17.9% power-play unit. They are the second-best team in the league at killing penalties with a success rate of 85.8%. For the Rebels to have success this weekend on the road they must stay out of the box and if given a power play, they must capitalize on it.

 

Goaltending:

A main reason why these two teams have had consistent success throughout the season is their last line of defense. Goalies are the back bone of a hockey team and both teams are reaping the rewards for having such great goalies. Ryan Keane is 4-1-1 since the beginning of 2019 and has recorded two shutouts. In his final season of junior hockey, Keane is putting up better numbers than he did while in Philadelphia last season. His goals-against-average is a 1.83 which puts him in second overall for goalies and his save percentage is at .927%. If Noah West had enough minutes to be ranked for goalies, he would be somewhere near the top ten as he currently has a GAA of 2.38 with a SV% of .913%. Combined, West and Keane are 24-10-3-1 and have five shutouts this season. Johnstown has had plenty of success in between the pipes as well. Carter McPhail is ranked sixth overall for goalies, he has a 2.02 GAA and a .935 SV%. He is 19-3 on the season and two of his losses have come at the hands of the Rebels. His counterpart Cooper Lukenda has an overall record of 11-1-0-1, giving him a 2.73 GAA and a .907 SV%.

 

Players To Watch:

Rebels (F: #27- Alex Frye)

Frye has without a doubt been the biggest asset for the Rebels this season. He leads the team in goals (22), assists (17), and points (39). He is ranked 17th in the league for points. Alex has also just committed to the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) to play NCAA Division 1 hockey. This is his final season of junior hockey and is making it one heck of a last ride. With 21 games left in the regular season for Jamestown, Frye will surely keep adding to his record setting season.

 

Tomahawks (F: #24 Samuel Solensky)

Solensky currently leads the league in points (64) and assists (42). Samuel is on an eight-game point streak (7g-13a) and holds the longest point streak of the season at 14, dating from Oct.27th-Dec.2nd.  He is committed to Bemidji State University, which is in the same conference Frye will be playing in (WCHA). Out of the five games against Jamestown, Solensky has three points (2g).

News, Uncategorized

Rebels extend point streak to six!

Over the weekend the Rebels hosted the Maryland Black Bears for the third time this season. The Black Bears have not won at the Northwest Arena yet this season (0-4). They came into this weekend in 5th place (13-21-3-2). The Rebels were trying to make it three-straight sweeps over the newest team in the league. Jamestown entered this weekend ranked 2nd in the East (22-10-3-2). The Rebels also were on a four-game point streak going into this past weekend (season high is 7).

Once the puck was dropped on Friday the Rebels did not let their foot off the gas, scoring 2:32 into the first, thanks to Caleb Price (2). The score would remain 1-0 after the first 20 minutes of play. Although, not even :30 seconds into the middle frame Nick Petruolo scored (2), putting the Rebels up by a pair. The Black Bears would answer but not until the start of the 3rd period. Shortly after Maryland cut their lead in half, it was Hunter Johannes that put the Rebels back up by two, scoring his first goal in a Rebels uniform. With time winding down in the game, the Black Bears pulled Anthony Del Tufo in hopes of using the 6-on-5 to their advantage. While they were unsuccessful on pulling their goalie, rookie Jake Felker was able to find the back of the empty net for his 13th NAHL goal. Ryan Keane picked up his second-straight win, making 23 saves on 24 shots. He currently is the 2nd best goalie overall in goals-against-average with a 1.83 and his save percentage improved to .927%. Keane also has the 3rd most wins this season for goalies with 18. The Rebels were now just one win away from going 6-0 against the Black Bears at the Northwest Arena.

The next night Jamestown came out riding a huge wave of momentum after their 4-1 victory the night before. However, Maryland was able to get the game’s first goal after a puck redirected in front of Noah West, allowing Bobby Batten to pick up the loose puck and put it in the back of the net. Jamestown trailed for the first time and while they were unable to convert before the horn sounded ending the 1st period, they came out red hot in the middle period. It all started with Nick Petruolo (3) tying the game at 1-1, just 1:24 into the 2nd. He followed that up by scoring on the Rebels first man-advantage of the night, putting him just one goal shy of a hat-trick. On the Rebels second power play they converted again, this time it was Colin Schmidt (6). With under five minutes left in the period, Sam Anzai (6) gave the Rebels a three-goal lead to head into the locker room after 40 minutes of play. The flood gates would remain open once the 3rd period started as Niki Jasko picked up his fifth goal as a Rebel. Later in the 3rd it was Hunter Johannes scoring his second goal as a Rebel in his second game with the team. With six-unanswered goals the Rebels were surely going to skate away with the win, all that would remain is what the final would read once the clock hit zeros. They were just one goal away from tying their season high in goals, which they set against Maryland the very first time they came to Jamestown back on Nov. 23rd. Also, right after Johannes scored his goal, Head Coach Clint Mylymok of Maryland sent on David Tomeo to replace Del Tufo. This was the first weekend Del Tufo has faced Jamestown and one he will surely want to forget, giving up ten goals in nearly two full games. The Black Bears would tally one more goal before the end of the game, making the final score 6-2 Jamestown.

Noah West recorded his first win since his 4-0 shutout over Maryland back on Dec. 22nd. Jamestown now leads the season series 8-0-1-1, with six of those wins coming on home ice. The next match up between these two teams will be in Maryland on Mar. 1st and 2nd. Who knows, by then Maryland’s season could be on line as they have lost ground on Northeast, who swept Johnstown over the weekend. Jamestown still retains 2nd place in the East and 5th overall in the league with a record of 24-10-3-2 (53pts). The Black Bears still sit in 5th place in the East with a record of 13-23-3-2 (31pts) and are just one point ahead of last place Wilkes-Barre. The Rebels are looking to eclipse their season high point streak (7) this weekend with two wins over the best team in the league, the Johnstown Tomahawks. If they pickup two wins in regulation, they will be within ten points of Johnstown for the 1st place spot in the East. A spot the Rebels have been in at the end of the regular season for three-straight years.

News, Uncategorized

From shootout loss, to shutout win

Over the weekend the Rebels visited New Jersey for the second time this season. The Rebels were coming off a loss to the Knights in overtime. Whereas the home team had just gotten swept by Northeast, putting them only six-points ahead of the fourth-place team. The Rebels were going to remain in second place no matter the outcome from the weekend, but they were hoping for a sweep so they can try to separate themselves from the bottom of the pack.

 

They came close to a sweep but unfortunately lost in a shootout on Friday. The first game of the weekend started out well for the Rebels as they found the back of the net first, thanks to Alex Frye. Suddenly though, the Titans scored two goals in under two-minutes. When the horn sounded at the end of the first period the Rebels found themselves trailing 2-1. They came out for the middle period more aggressive as they put up a game high 18 shots on Brandon Perrone. Two of those shots beat Perrone, with the first one coming off the stick of Connor Linton on the power play (first NAHL goal). The other goal scorer for the Rebels in the second period was Niki Jasko. He gave his team their first lead of the game heading into the locker room with one period left in regulation. New Jersey would tie the game back up just after the half-way point in the third. Alex Frye would notch his second on the night, putting the Rebels back up by one. With time winding down in the game, New Jersey was able to beat Noah West one more time to tie things up at 4-4. This would then bring us into 3-on-3 hockey for five minutes. It marked the second-straight game the Rebels had to play extra hockey. Also, since we started the new year the Rebels have went into overtime at least once every weekend. Overtime would not be enough to decide a winner, so the teams prepared for a sudden death shootout. The Rebels won their last shootout back on January 4th against Wilkes-Barre and in that shootout Auggie Moore was the only player to score. That would not be the case this time around. Every player scored during the first two rounds, but then rounds three and four no one was able to find the back of the net. In round five Antonio Venuto could not beat Perrone, putting the game on the line for Mitch Machlitt of New Jersey. He was able to score on West giving his team the 5-4 win and along with it the full two points. That was the first loss for West since December 8th and the first SO loss for Jamestown since October 20th.

 

After putting up 50 shots the nights before, the Rebels were determined to skate away with the win. Saturday’s game was a battle between Ryan Keane and Ryan Winter. With under five minutes to go in the first, Alex Roy blasted a slapshot right past Winter for the 1-0 lead. New Jersey tried everything they could in the second period to get on the scoreboard, but Keane was a brick wall from start to finish. Neither team scored in the second, giving the Rebels only a 1-0 lead when the third period started. Ian Carpenter who just recently became a Tender for the Rebels was called upon this weekend in New Jersey and did not disappoint. He picked up his first NAHL goal just 6:55 into the third period. The Rebels would hang on to their 2-0 lead at the end of the 60 minutes giving them their first win since January 11th. The shutout was also Keane’s third of the season, tying his total from last season. While the Rebels sadly did not get the sweep, they managed to pick up three points and increase their lead over New jersey to 11PTS.

 

This weekend the Rebels will host the Maryland Black Bears. Jamestown has not lost to Maryland in regulation this season (6-0-1-1) or on home ice (4-0). Noah West also has both his shutouts this season against the newest team in the NAHL and both coming by a final of 4-0. Jamestown now has an overall record of 22-10-3-2 (49PTS). Their opponent this weekend is currently sitting in fifth place, but they are tied in points with Northeast at 31. Maryland has an overall record of 13-21-3-2 and they are coming off their first sweep in franchise history, which came against the Generals. You will not want to miss these games this weekend as the Rebels are looking for their third-straight sweep over the Black Bears. Also, after Saturday’s game strap on some skates because the Rebels are sticking around after the game to skate with fans. For ticket information call 716-484-2624.

News, Uncategorized

Rebels travel to Middletown, NJ

This weekend the Rebels will be making the almost seven-hour drive to visit third place New Jersey. This will be the second trip to Middletown Ice World for the Rebels this season. The previous trip started out with a 2-1 overtime loss for the Rebels but finished on a positive note as Keane picked up his first shutout of the season (4-0). Rebels have an overall record of 21-10-3-1 (46PTS), putting them in second place where they have been for quite some time. The Titans are ten points back on the Rebels and have an overall record of 18-17.

 

Slow Start:

The Rebels ended 2018 on a four-game win streak. The first four games of 2019 though have not been kind to them as they are 2-1-1 (all four games against WBS). Keane has played in all four games to start this calendar year (the most a Rebels’ goalie has started all season) putting him in third place for goalies overall with a goals-against-average of 1.94. The Titans are also finding 2019 to be difficult as their first two games of the year resulted in losses. New Jersey has also had an extended break with them not playing the first weekend of January some of their players have to get back into the swing of things before it’s too late.

 

Someone New:

Both teams are coming off long stretches of playing the same opponent for four-straight games. The Rebels have now played the Knights ten times this season (most of any team). The Titans ended 2018 against the Generals where they split the weekend, then played this past weekend for the first time in 2019 and allowed seven goals while only scoring four. With the Titans in a slump right now it has allowed the Generals to pull within six points of them. New Jersey must get something going here in the second half of the season or they will soon see the post season slip away from their grasp. On the flip side, the Rebels are looking to bounce back from two consecutive split weekends versus Wilkes-Barre. The Rebels blanked the Knights the first game of this past weekend by a final of 3-0. The following night though Wilkes-Barre was able to beat Keane twice in :58 seconds to tie the game and eventually win it in overtime with the final score reading 3-2.

 

No Rest for the Weary:

With the NAHL season being 60 games long it is a no-brainer that teams will get tired from time to time and staying healthy becomes tougher each game. The main factor is how the team comes together when facing such problems. The Rebels will look to put the start of 2019 behind them with two big wins in New Jersey this weekend. Every single player for Jamestown will have to play top notch hockey, since the season now looks like it might be on the line for New Jersey. The Titans will look to start hot and not look back. The Rebels though are hoping to silence the home town crowd early and maintain the momentum throughout the weekend.

News, Uncategorized

Rebels pick up 3 points against WBS

Over the weekend, the Rebels had their first home games of 2019, hosting the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights for the second-straight weekend. The Rebels came into this past weekend with an overall record of 20-10-2-1, good for second place in the East. The Knights on the other hand were on the outside looking in with an overall record of 12-19-1-1, putting them in fifth place. These two teams met for the fifth weekend series, the most either team has played against an opponent.

 

On Friday it was a battle between winless netminder Samuel Vyletelka and one of the top-five goalies in the league, Ryan Keane. The scoring came early for the Rebels as just 3:09 into the first, Antonio Venuto stick lifted a Knight and was able to walk right in for the 1-0 lead. While on the power play and with about :15 seconds left in the first, Colin Schmidt made a beautiful back-hand pass as he was falling to the ground to Alex Frye who was wide open at the top of the crease. Frye picked up his 52nd junior goal in what was his 200th junior game. The Rebels picked things up in the second where they left off in the first thanks to Noah Finstrom. He sniped one right past Vyleltelka for a power-play goal, making it a 3-0 Rebels lead. Neither team could find the back of the net for the remainder of the game, giving Keane his second shutout of the season (17SVS). Rebels increased their season-series lead over the Knights to 8-1 and with a little help from some top teams, the Rebels were tied for fourth place in the league at 46pts. With the win Keane now has 16 on the season which ranks him third among goalies.

 

Saturday marked the first time this season Keane has started four-straight games. He went up against Zach Stejskal who just barely cracked the top 15 for goalies overall. The game seemed to start out déjà vu like as Antonio Venuto notched the first goal of the game just before the halfway point of the period. Following in Venuto’s footsteps was Alex Frye as he put his team up by a pair with under three minutes left in the first. Unfortunately, that is where the déjà vu ended for the Rebels as they let up two goals in the middle period just :58 seconds apart. The Rebels applied a lot of pressure in the late stages of regulation, but it would not be enough as the horn sounded and with a 2-2 game we headed into extra hockey. In the 3-on-3 overtime the Rebels controlled most of the possession but with a lot of open ice and fresher legs, the Knights’ Forward Tyrone Bronte picked up the puck and went the other way. He was able to out muscle Frye who was the only man back for Jamestown and beat Keane for the win. The Knights won their first game here at the Northwest Arena. It was also Keane’s first overtime loss this season.

 

Jamestown still sits in second place with a record of 21-10-3-1 (46PTS), whereas the Knights, improve their record to 13-20-1-1(28PTS), but not their position as they sit in fifth place. The Rebels will travel to New Jersey this weekend to face the Titans. New Jersey got swept by the Generals this past weekend and they are ten points back on Jamestown. The Rebels will have to go up against a team that is looking for revenge after getting swept and they are also trying to close the gap. The Rebels are 1-2-1 against the Titans this season. It is crucial for the Rebels to come out firing on all cylinders during Friday’s game, so they can gain some confidence back and set the tone for the weekend. For ticket information call 716-484-2624.

News, Uncategorized

First home games of 2019

When the Rebels touch the ice this Friday it will not only be their first home game of 2019 but also their first in 20 days. They host the Knights to cap off four-straight against them. The Rebels received their first lost to the Knights this past Saturday by a final of 4-2, which snapped their five-game win streak. The Rebels are looking for revenge and to get back in the win column. Whereas the Knights are hoping they have finally found their groove in the second half of the season. They have been in the bottom three in the East for most of the season. With the second half of the season in full swing, their mindset is to win at all costs, so they can secure the last playoff spot. As for the Rebels their mentality is to increase their distance on the Titans and while doing so close the gap on Johnstown.

 

Penalty Minutes:

The Rebels have the fewest PIMS in the East with 455. The Knights sit right in the middle with 644. Discipline is a big component of winning hockey games. The Rebels do a phenomenal job of drawing penalties and not retaliating. By them not taking penalties it allows all five guys to stay out on the ice to keep the pressure up on the opposition. While the power play has been struggling the Rebels are one of the best when down a man. Their penalty kill puts them at fourth place in the league at 84.6%. Right behind them though are the Knights at 83.7%. This past weekend the Rebels went 0/7 on the man advantage, whereas the Knights went 1/8. With the Knights being in the top ten for power play and penalty kill, the Rebels must stay out of the box and find ways to capitalize on the extra man. If they can do that, they will easily skate away from the weekend with the full four points.

 

Good to be Back:

The Rebels are 9-6 on home ice where they have put up 50 goals for and have only allowed 34. The Knights are worse on the road then they are at home, with a record of 4-6-1. The past six home games for the Rebels have resulted in a record of 5-1. The only loss coming at the hands of Johnstown by a final of 3-2. The Knights have only been to Jamestown once this season, which was back on Oct. 26-27. The Rebels swept them that weekend, scoring six goals and only allowing one each night. The last time the Knights won a road game was back on Dec. 8th when they shutout the Generals by a final of 4-0. Finally, both shutouts for Rebels goaltender Noah West have come while at the Northwest Arena by a final of 4-0 against the Black Bears.

 

Alex Frye:

This Friday will mark his 200th game played at the junior hockey level, between the USHL and NAHL. Through his 199 games played he has found the back of the net 51 times and assisted on 51 as well. In the NAHL alone he has played 144 games, recording 48 goals and 46 helpers. He leads the Rebels this season in goals (18) and assists (14) giving him 32 points, which puts him 17th overall in the league. Alex has already tied his most points in a season (2016-17 Topeka Roadrunners) and it took him 18 less games. During that season with the Roadrunners was also the most goals Frye has scored in a season (19). Frye is just one of five players for the Rebels to have played in every game thus far. With 27 games left to go for the Rebels this season there will surely be a lot of records set for #27 Alex Frye.