The NAHL Danbury Hat Tricks split a two-game series with the Philadelphia Rebels at Danbury Arena, winning 6-4 on Friday and losing 7-4 on Saturday. The win in the first matchup between the teams this year broke the Hat Tricks’ three-game losing streak.
On Friday, Brock Behrend scored a goal less than two minutes in to open the scoring, but the Rebels countered with two goals later in the period. Grant Dietz evened the game with a shorthanded goal in the second period, and Logan Nickerson answered a Philadelphia goal with one of his own to tie the game at 3 heading into the final 20 minutes.
Alexios Georgaklis and Wyatt Stefan scored early in the third to give Danbury the lead. Philadelphia scored a shorthanded goal to cut the deficit to one, but Jacob Roberson put away the game with a full-ice, empty net goal.
On Saturday, the Hat Tricks fell behind 3-0 early in the second period and 6-2 after two, with Grant Dietz and Jacob Roberson scoring power play markers in the middle stanza. Local product Mason Lupo scored his first two goals of the season, one on the power play and one at even strength, but the Rebels scored on the empty net to provide the margin.
Next weekend, the Hat Tricks travel to Maryland to take on the Black Bears.