The Juniors Rebels underwent an exhausting weekend of lengthy road trips and fast-paced games, beginning with the match against the Saskatoon Westleys in the Rod Hamm Arena on Friday, November 22. In the opening game of their active weekend in central Saskatchewan, the Westleys outperformed the Rebels during the initial periods, scoring twice in the first period and once in the second.
The Rebels found their way into the Saskatoon game in the third, earning two blazers. The first Rebels goal arrived at 15:25 during a power play, when Dawson Diekrager scored with help from Hunter Johnson and John Priela. The Rebels aced another one into the net during the third, when Matthew Roblin volleyed one in from Alex Hicks and Randy Stowe at 8:36. But the Westleys sealed the game up at 2:06 with their fifth goal, leaving the tally at 5-2 in the Westleys’ favour.
The Rebels hit the road again, finding themselves in Carrot River to meet with Outback Thunder the next day on November 23. The Rebels were outpaced by Carrot River throughout Saturday’s game, taking only 18 shots on net verses 40 rounds aimed by Outback Thunder. By the game’s end, the Carrot River had stomped the Rebels out with a 9-0 landslide.
But the Rebels kept their backs straight and their eyes forward as they carried on to Prince Albert, where they were triumphant over the Titans on this Sunday afternoon game on November 24, with a 5-4 shave of a win in overtime, achieving success after Alex Hicks hit the Prince Albert twines with the tiebreaker at 4:22.
The Rebels started things right in this Prince Albert game, when Riley Skarbon shot one in from John Priela and Tyde Hutchinson at 3:40 in the first. Although the Titans fought hard in the first and second periods with three goals of their own, the Rebels kept pouring the heat on. Assiniboia lobbed three shots into the Prince Albert net in the second, edging the Rebels over the Titans. Matthew Roblin, John Priela and Tyde Hutchinson were the heroes of the second period, each notching shots into Prince Albert’s net. But Jordan Johnson, Preston Carriere, Randy Stowe and Riley Skarbon also helped to seal the Rebels’ victory with their keen assistance and excellent offensive play.
The Rebels entered the third period with a 4-3 lead over Prince Albert. In the largely scoreless third period, overtime soon came into play after the Titans evened the grade at 16:29 – skating off with a 4-4 tie soon to be smashed by the Rebels with help from Alex Hicks.
The Rebels will convene with Storm at the Assiniboia Civic Centre Arena on Wednesday, November 27 with the puck dropping at 7:30 p.m. Later in the week, the home team has planned a rematch with Storm at the Pilot Butte Recreation Centre on Saturday, November 30.
