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Rebels win fourth consecutive game 6-4 against Tigers

Third period push puts Rebels on top
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Red Deer Rebels win fourth game in a row Friday night in Medicine Hat 6-4 against Tigers. (Photo by Ian Gustafson/ Advocate staff)

Resiliency and determination.

Those were the words to describe the Red Deer Rebels’ effort after they won their fourth consecutive game 6-4 in Medicine Hat.

It was a classic offensive thriller and the Rebels were ruthless in the offensive zone outshooting the Tigers every period 50-24.

There were five different lead changes but after some third-period heroics, including a go-ahead goal late in the frame by Jace Isley, Red Deer came out on top despite stellar goaltending by Medicine Hat.

Head coach Steve Konowalchuk said his team played a solid game.

“They found themselves having to battle a lot of the game to finally pull away to win but I thought we were skating, jumping on loose pucks, and forechecking pretty good,” he said.

“They kept going and they did a really good job of finding a way to win.”

The Rebels struck first at the eight-minute mark when defenceman Hunter Mayo ripped a wrist shot from the top of the circle on the powerplay off a cross-ice pass from Jace Weir.

Medicine Hat got the equalizer with two and a half minutes remaining in the opening period off the stick of Cayden Lindstrom.

However, the Rebels retook the lead 2-1 just over two minutes into the middle frame while shorthanded. Forward Jace Isley fired in the one-timer opportunity while on a two-on-one breakaway.

Approximately 40 seconds later Medicine Hat tied the game once again on the powerplay scored by Oasiz Wiesblatt. The Tigers weren’t done there because, at the midway point of the period, forward Tyler MacKenzie put Medicine Hat back on top 3-2.

Before the end of the period, Kai Uchacz dropped the gloves with Pavel Bocharov as tempers reached their breaking point between the Central Division rivals.

With minutes remaining Tigers Brett Calhoon hit Rebels forward Kalan Lind. The Tigers forward was given a game misconduct and Lind did not return to the game.

The action did not stop in the final period as early in the frame the Rebels scored but after a lengthy review the call remained a no-goal after a high stick. However, Red Deer didn’t take long to put another one in the back of the net when Kai Uchacz scored his team-leading 23rd tally of the year to extend his point streak to 10 games the very next shift.

With six minutes left the Tigers took the lead once again scored by Brayden Boehm. Thirty seconds later Rebels forward Frantisek Formanek hammered a shot top shelf to tie the game 4-4.

At the 16:39 mark, Isley came up clutch with his second of the evening and slotted a rebound into the net to take the lead 5-4 in a hectic third period. Craig Armstrong sealed the deal for the Rebels with 20 seconds left with an empty net goal to win 6-4.

Rebels goaltender Rhett Stoesser came up with some big saves late in the game and walked away with 20 saves and the win.

“There were some frustrating moments. Obviously, it’s tough when a goal gets disallowed but the next shift they went and got one. The other team came down and scored again so it’s just one of those games where I thought a lot of it we were playing well,” he added.

“There were some mistakes you want to clean up towards the end that might have made our life a little bit easier but overall, I thought our guys were resilient and kept going.”

Next up for the Rebels is a Saturday night matchup tomorrow against the Swift Current Broncos at 7 p.m. at the Peavey Mart Centrium.



Ian Gustafson

About the Author: Ian Gustafson

Ian began his journalism career as a reporter in Prince Albert, Sask. for the last three years, and was born and raised in Saskatchewan.
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