SIX NATIONS – The Rebels shook off a 10-8 loss against the Guelph Regals, Friday night at the ILA to rebound with a strong 16-11 showing Sunday night in Welland.
With the split this week, the Rebels record is now 11 wins, four losses and one tie for a division leading 23 points, but there is no breathing room between themselves and the Niagara Thunderhawks who sit one point behind holding one game in hand.
Sunday night should have washed away the bitter taste of Friday nights home loss after a high scoring first period, which saw 11 total goals, the Rebels were ahead 6-5. The Generals scored first, but Travis Longboat put the game back on an even keel a minute later, at 1:54.
When the smoke cleared, Six Nations got goals from Longboat, Sid Powless, Wes Whitlow, Danton Miller, Chayton King, and Colin Montour, who gave the Rebels the lead with one second remaining in the period.
The Rebels opened the second period in style, using their powerful penalty killing squad as an offensive weapon, scoring the first five goals, as tallied by Danton Miller, Sherman Williams, Colin Montour, shorthanded, Danton Miller’s third of the game, shorthanded, and Wes Whitlow, also shorthanded.
The Rebels were in charge 11-5 at that point in the period, but the Generals clawed back three before the end of the period for an 11-8 Rebels’ lead with 20 minutes remaining.
Welland created a bit of momentum after scoring the first goal of the third period to make it 11-9, but Josh Miller stopped any thoughts of a Welland rally, scoring three back-to-back shorthanded goals. Even that could not stop the Generals from fighting on. Jay Clayton netted a pair of goals down the stretch but Longboat and Sid Powless along with goalie Briley Miller put the game in the bank, 16-11, out shooting the Generals, 70-34, with six shorthanded goals.
Friday, home at the Gaylord Powless Arena, a slow start came back to haunt the Rebels. Guelph earned a 3-0 first period lead, them pit up two more to start the second before WakeRait Bowhunter got the Rebels going late in the period. Dayton Miller and Justin Martin cut further into the Regals’ lead but two Guelph goals within the last minute of the second period left the Rebels in an unfamiliar territory, down 7-3 with one period remaining.
It all started well as Ceaton Smoke, Travis Longboat and Jeremy Bomberry pulled the Rebels to within striking distance down 7-6. The Regals and Rebels traded goals until the end of the game. Bomberry and Smoke each scored their second of the game but the Regals kept in step to retain the win despite being outshot by Six Nations 62-47 in a wide open end-to-end game.
Wednesday night, June 8th, will be a huge game for both the Rebels and the Niagara Thunderhawks as they go head-to-head at the Meridian Credit Union Arena.
Friday night at 8 p.m., at the ILA, the Hamilton Bengals will try to improve their 6-9-0 record. Niagara has two other games this week to overtake the Rebels for first place.
