After two strong games at home last weekend to finish the season, the Assiniboia Southern Rebels 20-18-2 will face either the Traveland RV Storm or the Extreme Hockey Regina Capitals in the first round of the PJHL playoffs. As of this writing, a Fort Knox loss on Tuesday, February 20 against the Storm would see the Rebels face the Storm while a Fort Knox win would pit the South Division first place Capitals against the local team.
But it was back on February 16 when a visiting Fort Knox team ran into a motivated Rebel squad determined to solidify their playoff position. After a scoreless first period and falling behind 1-0 early in the second frame, the Rebels stormed back with two goals only to see Fort Knox score two late goals for a 3-2 lead. However it was the Rebels who fired it up in the third with five unanswered goals to win 7-3. Rebels got goals from Tyde Hutchinson with the hattrick, Trey Tendler added two goals and singles came from Cayden Price and Dakota Helland.
On the following evening, the Rebels hit the reset button at home and followed up with another offensive burst, this time against the Capitals. After taking a commanding 3-0 first period lead, the Rebels answered an early second period marker by the Capitals with five unanswered goals over the next two periods to win 8-1.
At least eight players recorded a point on the evening, paced by Bryce Hall and Dakota Helland with two goals and two assists each, Cayden Price with two goals and one assist, Randy Stowe with one goal and one assist, Tyde Hutchinson chipping in one goal and one assist, with Carson Cayer and Reese Rutko each adding an assist.
It was a milestone weekend for Captain Trey Tendler who had three helpers in the 8-1 Capital win, and saw him move ahead of Lanny Silbernagel (210 points) to become the Southern Rebels All-Time career leader in points with 215. Others on the list of all-time greats include Logan Skinner (202), Zach Flemming (190), and Jason Smith (188).
