Rebels start slow, storm back for 8-5 win over Hitmen
RED DEER – The Red Deer Rebels dug themselves out of an early hole as seven different players found the back of the net in a wild 8-5 win over the Calgary Hitmen Friday night at the Marchant Crane Centrium.
Red Deer improved to 5-2-0-1 with a third-straight win while handing the Hitmen their second-straight loss sending them to 4-2-0-0.
The Rebels were handed an early power play when Hitmen forward Charlie Kresl was assessed a major penalty for boarding and game misconduct. But it would be Calgary taking advantage as Carter Sanderson and Julien Maze scored shorthanded goals 1:23 apart for a quick 2-0 lead.
Red Deer’s power play did eventually come through with a big goal in the dying seconds of the opening period as Patrick Sopiarz one-timed home a great pass from Matus Lisy. The goal with 1.3 seconds left on the clock cut the Rebels deficit in half through 20 minutes.
Sopiarz built on that momentum himself as very early in period two, he blasted home another great pass from Lisy to tie the game 2-2 with his third goal of the year.
The Rebels took their first lead of the game a few minutes later when Poul Andersen fed Grayden Peterson, who then cut in and deked out Calgary netminder Eric Tu for his long awaited first WHL goal.
Sanderson tied the game 3-3 when he tipped home a point shot for his second tally of the game and seventh of the season.
Just 50 seconds later, however, Owen DeWitt drove the net and pushed the puck home for his first goal of the season to restore the Rebels lead.
A mere nine second after that, Lisy unleased a rocket from the left point for his first goal of the season spelling the end of the night for Tu after he allowed five goals on 15 shots.
Jake Missura made it 6-3 to start the third period with his first goal of the season and second of his career past Calgary goaltender Aidan Hesse. Four minutes after that Jiri Kamas ripped one home for his first of the season to give Red Deer a four-goal advantage.
Bode Laylin, a Calgary Flames prospect making his Hitmen debut after a Thursday trade from Everett, beat Matthew Kondro with a seeing eye point shot to make it 7-4.
But the goal of the night came five minutes later as Beckett Hamilton showed his brilliance in setting up Andersen for his league leading eighth goal of the season, and third point of the game, to make it 8-4.
Grady Anaka scored his first WHL goal on the ensuing shift to finally round out the scoring on the night.
Red Deer outshot Calgary 33-27 on the night and was 1-for-5 on power plays while the Hitmen went 0-for-5.
BRANDT THREE STARS
- Jiri Kamas RD – 1 goal, 3 assists
- Matus Lisy RD – 1 goal, 2 assists
- Poul Andersen RD – 1 goal, 2 assists
WHAT THEY SAID
Brent Kisio, Rebels Head Coach
Patrick Sopiarz
NOTES – Forward Jake Banicevic (’08, Port Moody, BC) made his WHL debut for the Rebels and had an assist. He signed with the club after starting the season with the Whitecourt Wolverines of the AJHL … Andersen now has points in all eight Rebels games this season and leads the WHL with 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) … Cameron Kuzma had an assist to run his point streak to four games … Rebels scratches for the game includes Cameron Dillard, Noah Chadi, Kalder Varga (suspension), Kohen Lodge (lower-body injury), and Luke Jamieson … Red Deer snapped a six-game winless streak versus the Hitmen dating back to last season … Attendance for the game was 3566.
NEXT UP – The Rebels welcome the Edmonton Oil Kings for a Thanksgiving Monday Matinee at the Marchant Crane Centrium on Monday, Oct. 12 at 2 p.m.
