Weekend Preview
March 17, 2016 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Philadelphia Rebels News Release
Aston Rebels vs. the Johnstown Tomahawks
(Philadelphia Rebels)
Rebels Look to Keep Winning
Last weekend the Rebels defeated the East Division first place New Jersey Titans in back to back games. This helped the Rebels gain significant ground towards first place - something they will look to build on this weekend. With only six games left in the season, the Rebels will be looking to make every effort to impress in order to secure the best spot for themselves in the playoffs. Dean Balsamo had a great outing against the Titans, netting three points on the weekend. Balsamo, along with leading scorer Michael Merulla will play a huge part in the Rebels ending their inaugural season on a high note. The Rebels next four games will be against the Tomahawks, and then they will close the season out against the Titans in their last two games. If all goes as planned for the Rebels, they will look to have their way with the Tomahawks these next four games so that they can battle it out with the Titans for first place in their final weekend of the season. It should be a fun ride during these last three weeks.
Johnstown Hopes to Climb the Standings
The Rebels have not been the only team who has been winning lately. The Tomahawks have also won their last two, in a weekend sweep against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights. With those wins, the Tomahawks find themselves in third place in the East with 61 points - trailing the Rebels (second place) by five points. The Tomahawks know that these next four games are immensely important for them, and that if they can win at least three, they can find themselves in a position to battle for first place heading into the playoffs. Everything is coming down to the wire, and there are many different playoff scenarios for each team in the East. These last few weeks will be huge for every team, as building momentum heading into the playoffs will mean everything.
Keys for the Weekend
These teams have met each other many times so far this season, and the foundation has been set for a rivalry between the two teams. The Rebels are 7-5 against Johnstown in the season series this year, and the teams have seemed to go back and forth with trading wins all season. The keys for this weekend will be to come out strong and fast against this Tomahawks team. The games between this two usually have some extra fire and the Rebels will have to stay disciplined and play their game. The simple plays need to be made, and the top scorers will have to show up and do their jobs as they have all year.
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 Aston Rebels vs. the Johnstown Tomahawks |
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