Rebels ride hot second period to 5-2 win over Hitmen in Red Deer

Red Deer defeated the Calgary Hitmen 5-2 Saturday night. (Photo: X@CalgaryHitmen)

The Red Deer Rebels broke open a tight contest in the second period, scoring three straight goals that propelled them to a 5-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen Saturday night.

The Rebels opened the scoring early in the first, when Steven Steranka scored two minutes in. The Hitmen knotted the score when Reese Hamilton threaded the needle from the point on a power play.

In the second, Cohen Poulin, Ollie Josephson on a power play and Matteo Fabrizi, early in the third, increased the Rebel advantage to 4-1.

Hunter Aura scored his first WHL goal to cut the margin to 4-2, but Carson Birnie scored into an empty net to make it 5-2 Rebels.

Calgary outshot Red Deer on the night 33-21.

Rookie goaltender Eric Tu stopped 16 shots for the Hitmen in his first WHL start.

The game came a day after the Hitmen named Carson Wetsch as the 32^nd captain in team history. Four alternate captains were also named Friday: David Adaszynski, Connor Hvidston, Oliver Tulk and Ben Kindel.

Wetsch, a third-round pick by the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 NHL draft, has international experience, competing for Canada in the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August and the U18 Men’s World Championship in May, winning gold both times.

He’s starting his third season with the Hitmen.

“We wanted a captain who does it the right way every day. Carson plays hard and in the manner we want the Calgary Hitmen to play,” said  Hitmen coach Paul McFarland, in a media release. “He’s going to be the guy that we lean on to lead by example on a daily basis.”

Next up for the Hitmen is a Sunday matinee game against the Vancouver Giants at the Saddledome. Puck drop is 2 p.m.