Rebels drop back-and-forth 4-3 tilt in Regina
The Red Deer Rebels found themselves on the losing side of a spirited 4-3 tilt versus the Regina Pats on Wednesday night.
Luke Vlooswyk opened the scoring for the Rebels on their Saskatchewan road trip while Nolan Schmidt and Samuel Drancak also scored on the evening.
Red Deer
STATS STORY
Cohen Klassen (REG) – 1 goal, 1 assist
Luke Vlooswyk (RD) – 1 goal
Chase Wutzke (RD) – 32 saves
HOW IT HAPPENED
Back and forth hockey in the first period set the tone between the Rebels and Pats in this one.
With 2:50 to go in the first, Pats forward Keets Fawcett skated into the high slot, settled a bouncing puck and released a quick wrist shot through traffic low past Wutzke for a 1-0 Regina lead.
A minute and 27 seconds into the second, Rebels’ 6’5″ rookie defenceman Luke Vlooswyk stepped in on a pass from Parker MacDougall and went bar down past Pats goaltender Ewan Huet for his second goal of the season and a 1-1 game.
🎶 Music to our ears! 🎶#RDREBELS https://t.co/YpepZV97YL
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) January 16, 2025
Just over a minute later, Nolan Schmidt chased the puck down to the Pats end, stealing it from a defender as he lost and edge and slid into his own goalie. Schmidt slid the puck under the chaos through Huet’s legs and in for his second goal in three games.
Nolan Schmidt has found the back of the net!
Schmidt has two of Red Deer's last three goals. #RDREBELS | #WHL pic.twitter.com/Ge9usTTkPo
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) January 16, 2025
The game turned back in the Pats favour starting late in the middle frame as they scored three times unanswered.
On a powerplay, Ephram McNutt fired a one-timer from the point with Cohen Klassen knocking home the rebound of of mid-air to make it a tie game.
The go-ahead goal came a minute and 34 seconds later as Reese Hamilton put a wrist shot on net and Zach Pantelakis deflected the puck passed Wutzke.
Zachary Lansard extended the Pats lead in the third period to make it 4-2, netting what was ultimately the game-winning goal.
Red Deer had another one left in them as Ty Coupland dished the puck to Samuel Drancak, who drove the net and made two attempts before skating his own rebound around the net for a wrap-around goal.
Drancak with the wrap around! #RDREBELS | #WHL pic.twitter.com/kmq6c9fBYS
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) January 16, 2025
The Rebels pulled Wutzke for the extra attacker in the final 90 seconds but were unable to find the equalizer.
Regina outshot Red Deer 36-24 and was 1-for-4 on the power play while the Rebels were 0-for-3.
THREE STARS
- Fawcett (REG)
- Klassen (REG)
- Lansard (REG)
WHAT THEY SAID
Rebels coach Dave Struch…
Coach Struch on tonight’s close loss in Regina #RDREBELS | #WHL pic.twitter.com/T5ajzvNHOs
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) January 16, 2025
NOTABLES
Rebels scratches for the game were Jack Bousquet, Kalan Lind (upper) Ollie Josephson (lower, day-to-day), Jhett Larson (upper, week-to-week), Dmitri Toporowski and Peyton Shore (upper, week-to-week).
NEXT UP
The Rebels continue their road trip Friday at Saskatoon versus the Blades starting at 6 p.m. MT (106.7 REWIND Radio, CHL TV).