From UNLV Hockey
By Kayla Faase
In a hard-fought rematch against the Jamestown Jimmies, the Skatin’ Rebels saw their efforts fall short in a dramatic 5-4 shootout loss.
Despite a commanding 7-1 victory the previous night, UNLV struggled to maintain its momentum and found themselves in a tightly contested battle that ended in disappointment.
The game got off to a fast start with Jamestown’s Mario Decapite opening the scoring just 3:53 into the first period off a feed from Carter Johnson.
However, UNLV answered quickly. Parker Williams, assisted by Heath Mensch, found the back of the net a couple of minutes later to tie the game.
Later in the period, UNLV’s power play came alive. Mensch capitalized with a goal assisted by Caleb Strong and Jaxsen Wyatt, to give the Rebels a 2-1 lead heading into the second.
UNLV extended its lead early in the second period when Strong scored with assists from Tristan Rand and captain Mattias Dal Monte. Jamestown fought back, narrowing the gap to 3-2 with a goal from Malachi Franklin at 10:56, assisted by Philippe Lessard.
The third period saw more back-and-forth action.
Dal Monte added another power-play goal thanks to assists from Preston Brodziak and Deven Nagra, putting the Rebels up 4-2.
But Jamestown refused to back down with Jordan Baranesky’s goal at 8:27 and Zane MacDonald’s power-play tally late in the period brought the Jimmies even, sending the game to overtime.
Despite multiple chances for both teams, overtime ended scoreless, setting the stage for a shootout.
Jamestown’s Kole Christensson scored the lone goal in the shootout, securing the victory for the Jimmies. UNLV’s shooters – Preston Brodziak, Heath Mensch, and Caleb Strong – were unable to convert.
UNLV outshot Jamestown 42-41, but the Jimmies came out with more energy and controlled play for significant stretches. Jamestown had two goals waved off, one in the first period and another in the second.
The Rebels successfully killed off four of five penalties but allowed a crucial power-play goal late in the third.
UNLV’s power play remained a bright spot, converting two of their four opportunities. The result marked a sharp contrast from Friday night’s game, where UNLV dominated from start to finish.
With the split against Jamestown, UNLV will look to regroup and find consistency as they prepare for their next matchup.
(Originally published at https://www.rebelhockey.com/articles/lysfpyf6)
