Rebels surrender six goals in third period in stunning loss to Hitmen
The Red Deer Rebels wrapped up three games in three nights with a shocking 6-2 loss in Calgary against the Hitmen on Sunday night. The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow to say the least as the Rebels gave up six unanswered goals, including an empty-netter in the third period after leading 2-0 after forty minutes.
The first period saw Red Deer get on the board first when Brandon Hagel took a pass from Grayson Pawlenchuk on his backhand, then switched to his forehand and put it upstairs on Calgary goalie Matthew Armitage to make it 1-0 for the visitors. It was Hagel’s 13th goal of the season and came on the power play at 5:41 of the opening frame.
In the second, Red Deer added to their lead when Reese Johnson came down the right wing and roofed it on Hitmen net minder Matthew Armitage to make it 2-0 Rebels. The goal was Johnson’s 22nd of the year and came at the 11:02 mark of the second period.
In the third period, Calgary finally put themselves on the board when Riley Stotts blasted a one-timer off the right wing past Rebel’s goalie Ethan Anders to close the gap to 2-1 Red Deer. It was Stotts 16th goal of the season and came on the power play at 5:41 following a holding penalty to the Rebels’s Brandon Hagel.