Rebels drop pre-season opener 1-0 to Calgary
Pre-season play officially got underway Friday night for the Red Deer Rebels as they visited the Calgary Hitmen at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex at Tsuut’ina First Nation.
The game featured its fair share of power plays and physical play, but not much scoring as the Hitmen scored in the first period and rode that tally to a 1-0 victory.
Calgary scored the game’s lone goal 12:43 into the first period as Ben Kindel went bar down past Rebels goalie Peyton Shore just as a Hitmen power play had expired.
Outshot throughout the game, the Rebels found some traction midway through the second period. They generated several high danger scoring chances including two from Trae Wilke – making his Rebels pre-season debut – and Nickolas Kovich that both beat Calgary goalie Buenaventura only to ring off the iron.
Scoring opportunities were hard to come by again for the Rebels in the third period, though they did apply some late pressure with their net empty for the extra attacker. But it was to no avail as the Hitmen held on for the one-goal win.
Calgary outshot Red Deer 40-13 on the night and was 0-for-6 on the power play while the Rebels were 0-for-4.
Shore certainly looked comfortable being the busier goalie on the night with one of his biggest saves coming seven minutes into the final frame as he dove from right to left to kick away a backdoor Hitmen scoring chance. Moments later he denied Dax Williams on a point blank wrister from the slot. The 16-year-old netminder from Winnipeg made a total of 39 saves on the night.
The Rebels are back in pre-season action tomorrow night, Saturday, Sept. 7 as they host the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Game time is 7 p.m.
Coach Struch on tonight’s pre-season opener vs. Calgary #RDREBELS I #WHL pic.twitter.com/AFZr8AogED
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) September 7, 2024
NOTES: Rebels scratches for the game included Chase Wutzke, Rhett Stoesser, Hunter Mayo, Jace Weir, Kalan Lind, Carson Birnie, Ollie Josephson, Kasper Pikkarainen, Jhett Larson, Evan Smith and Talon Brigley… Calgary scratches included veterans Alexsey Chichkin, Reese Hamilton, Carson Wetsch, Carter Yakemchuk and Oliver Tulk… Three Stars for Friday’s game were 1) Buenaventura 2) Shore and 3) Kindel.
