T-Birds tumble to Rebels | WHL

The Red Deer Rebels defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-1 Friday night at the Enmax Centrium in Red Deer, Alberta.

This was the first game of a five-game road trip. The T-Birds travel to Edmonton to face the Oil Kings at 6 p.m. Saturday. They take on the Calgary Hitmen at 3 p.m. Sunday and then travel to Prince George for back-to-back games against the Cougars on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Kaden Elder and Nolan Volcan both made their T-Birds debut in this game. Elder was the T-Birds second first round pick, 22nd overall, in the 20013 Bantam Draft. Volcan was the T-birds second round pick, 27th overall, in the 2013 Bantam Draft.

Due to injuries both Elder and Volcan were called up to join the team for games on the road trip. Elder is currently playing with the Notre Dame Argos of the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League. Volcan is currently playing for the MLAC United Cycle Maple Leafs in the Alberta Midget Hockey League.

Seattle (22-12-2-3) opened the scoring at 8:21 of the first period. Branden Troock spun off a check in the left circle towards the Red Deer net. He skated towards Rebels’ goalie Patrik Bartosak and beat him over the glove with a snapshot. Alexander Delnov had the only assist on the goal. Troock has now scored a goal in the last three games.

The T-Birds outshot the Rebels 15-7 in the first period. They carried the play for the majority of the period and Bartosak made several good saves to keep the Rebels in the game.

Red Deer (20-17-0-2) tied the game 1-1 at 6:44 of the second period on a goal from Cole Chorney. Scott Feser drove towards the T-Birds net off the right wing. He lost control of the puck just in front of Seattle goalie Danny Mumaugh and it slid into the low slot. Chorney poked the puck past a lunging Mumaugh for the tying goal. Matt Bellerive had the second assist on the goal.

The Rebels went in front 2-1 at 14:39 of the second period. Feser centered the puck from the right corner to Earl Webb in the slot. Webb took the pass and beat Mumaugh for the go-ahead goal.

Seattle led in shots 24-13 after two periods by outshooting Red Deer 9-6 in the second period.

Vukie Mpofu gave the Rebels a 3-1 lead at 9:21 of the third period when he finished off a three-on-one break. Connor Bleackley carried the puck down the left wing into the T-Birds zone. In the left circle he centered to Rhyse Dieno in the slot and he quickly moved the puck to Mpofu on his right. Mpofu beat a lunging Mumaugh for the goal. The goal came on a rush right after Justin Hickman hit the post on a T-Birds three-on-two break.

Mpofu extended the Red Deer lead to 4-1 when he scored on a scramble in front of the Seattle net. Mpofu poked at a loose puck several times and got it past Mumaugh. Dieno and Bleackley had the assists.

Bellerive scored an unassisted empty-net goal at 18:26 of the third to ice the game. Bellerive’s shot from the left boards hit a T-Bird defenseman and deflected into the empty net.

The Rebels outshot the T-Birds 16-6 in the third period but the T-Birds finished the game with a 30-29 advantage in shots.

Mumaugh made 24 saves on 28 shots and his record is now 11-6-2-3.

Bartosak stopped 29 of 30 shots to get his record to 18-13-0-2.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Troock 20 (Delnov), 8:21. Penalties – Swenson, Sea (hooking), 11:48.

Second period – 2, Red Deer, Chorney 5 (Feser, Bellerive), 6:44. 3, Red Deer, Webb 1 (Feser), 14:39. Penalties – Troock, Sea (hooking), 2:49. Spencer, Sea (major-fighting), 7:04. Fafard, RD (major-fighting), 7:04. McKechnie, Sea (high-sticking), 9:02. Hickman, Sea (hooking), 10:20. Dieno, RD (tripping), 11:13.

Third period – 4, Red Deer, Mpofu 3 (Dieno, Bleackley), 9:21. 5, Red Deer, Mpofu 4 (Bleackley, Dieno), 11:18. 6, Red Deer, Bellerive 18, 18:26 (en). Penalties – Sutter, RD (hooking), 6:31.

Shots on goal – Seattle 15-9-6 30, Red Deer 7-6-16 29. Goalies – Seattle, Mumaugh 28 shots-24 saves (11-6-2-3); Red Deer, Bartosak 30-29 (18-13-0-2). Power plays – Seattle 0-2; Red Deer 0-3. A – 4,836. Referees – Derek Zalaski. Linesmen – Chad Huseby, Ross Welner.