Five different players scored for the Red Deer Rebels to lift the team to a 5-4 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The two Western Hockey League squads met for a divisional matchup at the Peavey Mart Centrium on Saturday, Nov. 2. The last time the two clubs played each other, Sunday, Oct. 26, Lethbridge scored three in the final period in a comeback victory over the Red Deer Rebels.
A determined-looking Rebels squad had a couple scoring opportunities in the opening frame, including a Hunter Mayo point shot that clanked off the crossbar, but Red Deer was unable to get on the board early.
Hurricanes forward Miguel Marques was the only player to score a first-period goal, beating Rebels goaltender Chase Wutzke with a shot to the glove side 18:24 into the game.
Red Deer answered back about five minutes into the second period. Evan Smith slid a pass to Beckett Hamilton, who worked his way in front of the net and squeezed a shot through Hurricanes goaltender Koen Cleaver. The goal was Hamilton's second of the season.
Lethbridge defender Noah Chadwick regained his team's one-goal lead a minute and a half later. Red Deer then responded by scoring three straight goals.
Matthew Gard collected his fourth of the season by banking a puck off a defender's skate and into the net 6:40 into the second period. At 12:20 of the middle frame, Rebels forward Carson Birnie collected a pass in front of the net with his back turned to the goaltender, then spun around and flipped a shot past Cleaver for his fifth goal of the season.
Just over a minute later, Red Deer's Birgley slid a pass to Trae Wilke, who was streaking towards the net. Wilke tipped the pass off the post, but Brigley followed up on the play and swatted the puck into an empty net for his second of the year.
Gavin Lesiuk scored for Lethbridge before the end of the period, meaning the Rebels had a one-goal lead heading into the final frame.
Samuel Drancak scored his first of the season with a swift wraparound tally to put the Rebels up by two again 9:09 into the third. Lethbridge's Brayden Edwards scored with about three minutes left on the clock to make it close, but Red Deer was able to hold on to the lead to pick up the 5-4 victory.
The three stars of the game were Talon Brigley (first), Samuel Drancak (second) and Noah Chadwick (third).
Red Deer will travel to Calgary on Monday, Nov. 4 to battle the Hitmen.
