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Rebels ride 3-goal first period to 4-3 win over Brandon

Goaltender Byron Fancy with key saves in third period to save game
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The Red Deer Rebels celebrated a first period goal by Ethan Rowland in their game against the Brandon Wheat Kings on Nov. 16. (Todd Colin Vaughan/LACOMBE EXPRESS)

Red Deer Rebels 4 - 3 Brandon Wheat Kings

The Red Deer Rebels (6-11-0-3) were looking for some bounces to go their way after a hard-played game against the Medicine Hat Tigers resulted in a disappointing 4-3 shootout loss.

The bounces would have to go there way against a Brandon Wheat Kings (9-12-0-0) team that was riding high after a 7-2 win over the Winnipeg Ice.

Despite some late hiccups, the Rebels would ride an impressive three-goal first period on the way to a 4-3 win.

“It was similar to last night, the only thing tonight is that we had a good enough lead going into the third,” Coach Brent Sutter said.

The second of four meetings between the two squads would be all Red Deer in the first period, with the home team jumping out to a 3-0 lead.

Arshdeep Bains would open up the scoring on a tipped Christoffer Sedoff shot; Dawson Barteaux score a powerplay goal from the point for the second; and Ethan Rowland would make a great driving play to goal off the face-off to put his team up three.

Bains said his line has been clicking well.

“We all complement each other well and we all work together. There is no selfishness and we move pucks,” Bains said.

The second saw Red Deer maintain their three-goal lead but Brandon would get on the board to make it 4-1.

Red Deer native Josh Tarzwell would score on a nifty back-hand rebound, but Wheat King Ben McCartney had the answer later in the period, scoring a powerplay to keep the game theoretically in reach.

“We started taking penalties and it took the momentum away from us,” Sutter said.

Brandon would make it interesting in the third but a flurry of saves by Rebels netminder Byron Fancy would save the game for the Rebels.

“I thought we all played really well tonight but our third periods still need to be better. Right now we are a 40 minute team but if we just keep working on it, I don’t doubt we will keep getting better,” Bains said.

Cole Reinhardt would score two for the Wheat Kings — one of them on a 6-on-5 man advantage to put his team within one with under two minutes to play, but it wouldn’t be enough.

“We’ll take the points tonight. Every point is big,” Sutter said.

Fancy picked up the win, stopping 37 shots for Red Deer; while Jiri Patera stopped 21 in the loss.

“He (Fancy) has been working his butt off. He is ready to be a player in this league and he’s earned it. He has been playing great,” Fancy said.

The Rebels remain at home to take on Prince Albert on Nov. 20, followed by another home game next weekend on Nov. 23 against Lethbridge.



todd.vaughan@lacombeexpress.com

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