(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

first point of road trip

Rebels squander 2-0 lead in shootout loss to Thunderbirds

Nov 12, 2024 | 11:04 PM

In the only meeting of the 2024-25 WHL regular season, it was the Seattle Thunderbirds (5-11-2-1) overcoming the Red Deer Rebels (9-8-1-0), and getting off a massive schneid in the process.

Red Deer came in losers of three straight, all contests on a road swing through the U.S. Division; the Thunderbirds, meanwhile, came in on a seven-game slump.

And it’ll be a bitterly disappointing result for the Rebels who led by a pair after 40 minutes.

Scoring summary

Beckett Hamilton (4th) opened the scoring for Red Deer at 16:37 of the first period — Evan Smith and Steven Steranka assisting.

Looking back

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31m ago

2024 reflection

Year in Review: Olds Mayor Judy Dahl thanks community following challenging year

18h ago

Bower Ponds

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20h ago

Red Deer piled on 18 shots in the opening frame, and led 1-0 after 20 minutes.

In the second, Ollie Josephson (6th) extended the visitors’ lead to 2-0 with a tally just 3:17 in. Hunter Mayo earned the helper, and Red Deer took their two-goal lead into the intermission.

Unfortunately for Red Deer, Seattle came alive in the third.

First, Braeden Cootes (7th) scored a power play goal at the 9:22 mark to cut the lead to one; Hyde Davidson and Antonio Martorana assisted.

Then, Cootes (8th) scored again, this time shorthanded and unassisted, at 11:55, and it was suddenly a tie game.

That’s how regulation ended, and the subsequent overtime solved nothing.

Off to the shootout where Red Deer’s Jhett Larson and Samuel Drancak failed to beat Grayson Malinoski.

Unfortunately, Chase Wutzke was beat by both the hot hand of Braeden Cootes, and Matej Pekar.

Final score: 3-2 for the T-Birds in the shootout.

Shots

RD: 18-8-4-1-31

SEA: 11-8-9-2-30

Power play

RD: 0/4

SEA: 1/7

Three stars

1st: Braeden Cootes (SEA) – 2 goals, +1

2nd: Grayson Malinoski (SEA) – 31 saves

3rd: Ollie Josephson (RD) – 1 goal

Up next for your Red Deer Rebels, they close out their U.S. Division road trip with games against Portland on Nov. 15 (8:00 p.m.) and Spokane on Nov. 16 (7:05 p.m.). All games are broadcast live on 106.7 REWIND Radio.