Feb 05, 2017 | Michelle King | 732 views
Novice Rep Rebels split home and home with Capitals
Home ice advantage proved to be the difference in a recent home and home series between the Horton Concrete Novice Rep Rebels and the Walkerton Capitals. Last Monday night at home, in the friendly confines of the Keady arena the Rebels continued their recent strong play and came away with a 2-1 victory. It was a different story Sunday in Walkerton as the Caps scored early and often and romped to a 7-2 payback win of their own.
Monday night saw our Rebels boys eager to play following a surprising tie with the powerhouse Hanover Falcons from the day before and the effort showed as Jhett McKee was able to beat the Caps goalie with a determined drive to the net to bang in a rebound off of a Matthew LaFond shot to take a 1-0 lead into the third period. The same tandem would strike again in reverse 14 seconds into the third as LaFond was able to finish a scoring drive with the assist to McKee. The Caps refused to quit though and kept attacking with vengeance and cut the lead in half 2 minutes later on a laser beam wrist shot under the cross bar to beat Rebels goalie Jacob Fluney. The game continued back and forth as both teams traded scoring chances before the “Great Wall of Fluney” was able to make a diving save back across the crease with 27 seconds left to rob a wide open Caps winger trying to bury the puck into the seemingly open net to preserve the win.
Sunday had the coaching staff warning the boys that the Capitals would be looking for payback in their home rink and unfortunately; they were proven correct, as the Capitals came out flying and our Rebel boys were unable to contain them as the Caps jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the second. The Rebels would get one back on a weird play as defenceman Colton Klages was able to get his first of the year on a long dump in that the Caps defender mishandled while getting harassed by a strong forecheck from LaFond and bounced one in to his own net off the end boards, and off the goalies skate, that had just enough speed to creep over the goal line. Hoping that the lucky break would swing the momentum and cue the comeback however, was short-lived as the Caps restored their 3 goal lead less than 2 minutes later, eventually ending the second up by a 6-1 margin. The teams traded goals in the third with LaFond finishing off a nice pass from Carter Frook to tap it in an open net. McKee had the additional assist. Final score was a 7-2 loss. One more regular season game left, then on to the playoffs. Go Rebels.