Rebels down Tigers in 5-2 victory

The period ended with a penalty for the Tigers’ Rhett Parsons for interference and the Rebels’ Jayden Grubbe for high sticking, trickling into the second period.

After 20 minutes of play, the Rebels outshot the Tigers 11-7.

In the middle frame, the Tigers regained their player from the box but the Rebels still had a few more seconds shorthanded. At the same time, Red Deer’s Jace Isley was hooked on a breakaway right out of the gate, earning him a penalty shot.

Just before the one minute mark, Isley scored his 15^th goal and second penalty shot of the season. First faking the shot, then backhanding it into the net for a 3-0 Red Deer lead.

Later, with the help of Red Deer’s Marek Schneider, Jace Isley almost lost the puck but regained control off a rebound to the wall, passing it up to Jayden Grubbe who tapped it into the net. His seventh goal of the season at 6:13 put the Rebels in a 4-0 lead.

The Rebels weren’t done yet though when Christoffer Sedoff passed the puck from the point to Arjun Bawa at the left faceoff where he then scored his second goal of the season. Although Kai Uchacz was originally deemed the scorer at 8:25, he was then named for the assist. The goal came on the power play following a boarding penalty to Medicine Hat’s Dallon Melin less than a minute earlier.

While the scoreboard read 5-0 in favor of the Rebels, they also had more shots on goal compared to the Tigers after 40 minutes, 12-8 in the second period and 23-15 overall to that point.

In the final period, the Tigers’ Brayden Boehm scored his 10^th goal this WHL season at 5:57 on Rebels netminder Rhett Stoesser. Assisted by Tyler MacKenzie, the Tigers were now on the board but trailing the Rebels 5-1.

Past the 13 minute mark, the Rebels’ Jhett Larson and Jace Isley were sent to the box for roughing and interference on goaltender, respectively, while Medicine Hat’s Andrew Basha was given a roughing penalty. With The Tigers on a power play, Brendan Lee scored his 16^th goal of the season shortly after at 13:54. Assisted by Bogdans Hodass, the Tigers now trailed 5-2.

The Tigers outshot the Rebels 12-7 in the third period. However, Red Deer still outshot Medicine Hat overall 30-27.

Both teams went 1/6 on the power play.

Rebels coach Steve Konowalchuk said the team had a great mindset this game, with many players stepping up like Arjun Bawa with his goal, an honest game by Talon Brigley and fast skating by Dwayne Jean Jr.

“To win hockey games, you need everyone to be able to do it. It’s not always on the scoresheet,” he said.

“We don’t want any passengers. Everybody can play and as long as you’re going, you’re going to have success but you have to make sure you’re going otherwise it doesn’t work,” he said. “Everybody was accountable to their line mates and I think that can help. It’s nice when you can play everybody. Coaches want to play everybody; you don’t want to have to shorten your bench and it just makes it a fun environment. Sometimes when you switch lines like that, it gives everyone a chance to be a part of it.”

While the first goal of the evening was waived, Konowalchuk says he believes it was the Tigers’ players who gave into the goalie’s stick. However, he says that didn’t stop the team from winning.

“Really, where you face a little adversity, we just went right back at them and didn’t worry about it and got the next two goals right away and that’s a big part of the game.”

The Rebels were given all three stars this game with Christoffer Sedoff, who notched one goal and one assist on the night earning the third star. Jace Isley, who scored a penalty shot goal and earned one assist, received the second star. Kai Uchacz, who scored twice on the evening, earned the first star.

The win brings the Rebels’ record to 19-5-1-3 while the Tigers’ fall to 10-14-4-1.

The Rebels play next on Friday, December 9, at the Peavey Mart Centrium when they host the Edmonton Oil Kings at 7 p.m.. You can also catch the broadcast live on 106.7 REWIND Radio.

by Alessia Proietti

Rebels down Tigers in 5-2 victory

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