Full-team effort fuels Rebels win over Lethbridge
The Red Deer Rebels and the Lethbridge Hurricanes met for the second time in as many Saturdays, with Red Deer looking for a bounce back after falling in Windy City in their previous outing.
Red Deer did just that as they received contributions from all four lines in a 5-4 win over the Hurricanes in front of 4119 fans at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
“It was fun to be a part of that with those guys. They showed a lot of pride in their and their work ethic and deserved the win,” said Rebels head coach Dave Struch.
STATS STORY
Talon Brigley (RD) – 1 goal, 1 assist
Samuel Drancak (RD) – Game winning goal
Brayden Edwards (LET) – 1 goal, 2 assists
HOW IT HAPPENED
Red Deer came out of the gates flying, throwing 13 shots at Koen Cleaver in the first twenty minutes, but couldn’t convert. Lethbridge scored a late first-period powerplay goal from Miguel Marques to make it 1-0 after the opening frame.
It was early in period two when Beckett Hamilton slid one home from in tight to make it 1-1. For the 16-year-old from Saskatoon it was his second goal of the season.
Noah Chadwick gave the Hurricanes their lead back short thereafter with another power play tally. But Lethbridge’s reprise was short-lived as Matthew Gard’s fourth goal of the season brought the two teams back to level a mere 13 seconds later.
Red Deer then authored a special teams goal of their own. Good offensive-zone movement saw Carson Birnie take a pass at the side of the net, walk out front, and beat Cleaver to make it 3-2 and give Red Deer their first lead of the game.
Birnie's powerplay goal! 3-2 Rebs🚨#RDREBELS | #WHL pic.twitter.com/a0W6ykO1Mg
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) November 3, 2024
The Rebels scarcely let their foot off the gas throughout the sixty minutes of play and found another quick second-period strike from Talon Brigley just 77 seconds after Birnie to make it 4-2.
That's a wrap so nice you gotta watch it twice 🚨#RDREBELS | #WHL https://t.co/QLknSPvUDR pic.twitter.com/lAL0f71ET1
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) November 3, 2024
Gavin Lesiuk scored hist first WHL goal late in the second period to drag Lethbridge within one. But Samuel Drancak restored the two-goal Red Deer with his first of the season on a fantastic wrap-around effort.
That's a wrap so nice you gotta watch it twice 🚨#RDREBELS | #WHL https://t.co/QLknSPvUDR pic.twitter.com/lAL0f71ET1
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) November 3, 2024
Brayden Edwards pulled the Hurricanes back within one late, but it wasn’t enough for Lethbridge, as the Rebels held on for the one-goal win.
Red Deer outshot Lethbridge 35-21 and was 1-for-3 on the power play while the Hurricanes were 2-for-5.
THREE STARS
- Brigley (RD)
- Drancak (RD)
- Chadwick (LET)
WHAT THEY SAID
“They came off a tough loss last night. We took advantage of it, but our consistency and our shift in, shift out (approach), everybody was in the game, and we had an opportunity to use the whole lineup. I think that that means a lot for our fatigue focus in putting together a 60-plus minute game.” – Struch
“I think that was probably one of our best games this season… Going back to last game, we learned from our mistakes, and we held it down and got the win.” – Brigley
NEXT UP
The Rebels play their next seven games away from home starting Monday in Calgary (7 p.m. on 106.7 REWIND Radio and CHL TV). After that it’s the six-game U.S. Division road trip that starts Friday in Wenatchee.
