The Red Deer Rebels dropped a heartbreaker 5-4 in overtime to the Wenatchee Wild on Tuesday night at the Centrium in their only meeting this season. It stayed quiet through two periods, but the third exploded with three goals each way to force the extra frame and lock in a point for the home side. Rookie Mason Kraft had a big night for Wenatchee with two goals, including the winner just 1:46 into OT, while Kohen Lodge stepped up for Red Deer with his first career two-goal game. Coach Marc Habscheid admitted afterward it was a tough one against a hard-working Wild team that lived up to expectations, saying they probably didn’t earn two points but were happy to grab one—it keeps them two points ahead of the Moose Jaw Warriors for that eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot at 53 points through 63 games (24-34-3-2). They’re just three back of the Regina Pats in seventh, with five left to play. The schedule doesn’t get any easier though, as the Rebels still have two more cracks at the strong Medicine Hat Tigers, while Moose Jaw draws some softer ones against bottom-feeder Swift Current three times plus Regina once. Defenseman Aleksey Chichkin got banged up late in the second after hitting the boards and didn’t return, and the Rebels are now 0-3 all-time against Wenatchee since they moved from Winnipeg. Big point in the race, but they’ll need to dig deep down the stretch to hang onto their spot.
Kohen Lodge scores at 2:30 of the first period to give the Rebels the lead. The assist on the goal went to Grayden Peterson.–Kohen Lodge put the team on the board early, netting the opening goal just 2:30 into the first period by burying the rebound off Grayden Peterson’s shot.
Shots on goal in the first period were 15-5 for the Wild.
Moorhead, Minnesota native Mason Kraft ties it up for the Wild at 9:25 of the second period while on the Power Play. The assist on the goal went to Rosemount, Minnesota native Josh Toll.–Mason Kraft leveled the score with a fortunate bounce midway through the second period, when his power-play point shot deflected off two Rebels defenders before slipping past goaltender Matthew Kondro.
Shots on goal in the second period were tied at 9 each.
Cameron Kuzma scores his 11th goal of the season to give the Rebels a 2-1 lead at 1:33 of the third period. The assist on the goal went to Patrick Sopiarz.–In the third period, another loose rebound materialized, and this time Cameron Kuzma was there to steer the puck home, putting the Rebels ahead 2-1 just 1:33 into the final frame.
Former Rebel Zane Torre ties the game back up for the Wild at 5:41 of the third period. The assist on the goal went to 2024 1st round 12th overall pick Boston Tait.–Just four minutes after that, Wenatchee answered right back to knot things up once more when ex-Rebel Zane Torre tipped a shot from the point past Kondro.
Wild make it 3-2 when Airdrie, Alberta native Caelan Joudrey scored at 7:26 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to Colgate University commit Luke Shcherbyna and former Kelowna Rocket Levi Benson.–The Wild grabbed their first lead of the game at the 7:26 mark of the third period, as Caelan Jourdrey cleaned up a rebound to make it 3-2.
Poul Anderson ties the game back up at 3 at 11:36 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to Cole Temple and Beckett Hamilton.–Poul Andersen notched his 21st goal of the season to pull things even at 3-3 with 11:36 left in the third, slipping into open space in front and wiring a precise shot through traffic.
Kohen Lodge gets his second of the game to make it a 4-3 game at 15:36 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to Beckett Hamilton and Matus Lisy.–Lodge lit the lamp for his second tally of the game, redirecting a feed from Beckett Hamilton along the boards to give the Rebels a 4-3 edge with only 4:24 remaining in the third period.
Woodbury, Minnesota native Aidan Grossklaus tied the game up at 4 for the Wild at 16:18 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to Leduc, Alberta native Grady Wedman and German Import Darian Rolsing–But Wenatchee wasted no time responding, rushing right back down the ice to knot it up at 4-4 just 42 seconds later. Aiden Grossklaus buried his 15th goal of the season, sending the game to overtime.
Shots in the third period were 14-13 for the Rebels
Mason Kraft scores the winner in overtime at 1:46 with the assist on the goal going to Caelan Jourdey.–Mason Kraft sealed it with his second goal of the night, firing a sharp shot past Kondro just 1:46 into overtime to hand Wenatchee the victory.
Shots in Overtime were 2-0 for the Wild. The Wild outshot the Rebels 39-28 in the game.
Andover, Minnesota native Cal Conway made 24 stops on the 28 shots that he faced for the win for the Wild. For the Rebels Matthew Kondro stopped 34 of the 39 shots that he faced.
Three Stars of the game were 1) Mason Kraft 2) Kohen Lodge 3) Caelan Jourdey
Attendance in Red Deer was 3016
Rebels next game is Friday March 13th against the Brandon Wheat Kings in Red Deer
