From the drop of the puck, both the Black Widows and the Rebels moved the puck up and down the ice. The Black Widows scored first to take a 1-0 lead at 1:37 of the first period. The Black Widows extended their lead to 3-0 but they ended the first period with a 5-minute major for butt ending with the stick.

The Rebels could not capitalize on the power play break at the beginning of the second period. The Black Widows extended their lead to 4-0 by the end of the second period.

When the horn sounded, the Rebels skated off the ice with a 5-0 loss to the Black Widows and 0-1 to begin the 2001 Las Vegas Tournament.

For the second time in as many games, the Rebels failed to score the first goal of the game. However, minutes later, the Rebels were up 2-1. The game tying goal was scored by Renee on a pass from Katherine. Three shifts later, Katherine moved the Rebels ahead on a goal with a leading pass from Carol.

The Rebels' 2-1 lead held up after the end of the second period with both teams tied at 13 shots each. But the third period ended in a 2-2 tie as the Roadrunners scored a come from behind goal with less the three and a half minutes to go in the game.

Both teams played the five minute sudden death overtime to a 2-2 draw as seven shots combined were placed on the netminders. The Rebels picked up their first point of the tournament but would it be enough to make the top three finishing teams for the playoff run?

Unlike the first two games of the tournament, the Rebels hit the twine first. The game began with the Rebels getting a 5-on-4 power play 48 seconds into the period as the Heartbreakers were assessed a roughing penalty. After several attempts into the zone and the puck knocked out, Lina began the final rush as the penalty was in its last 30 seconds. Within seconds, Lina managed to weave her way through the Heartbreakers' players to score a power play goal and 1-0 Rebels' lead.

Minutes later in the period, the Heartbreakers tied the score 1-1 but the Rebels continued to pressure the opposing goalie outshooting the Heartbreakers 14-5.

The second period was a continuation of the first as the Rebels controlled the puck and outshot the opposition 7-6. In the closing minute of the period, Susan, on the right center of the ice, kept the puck in the zone by knocking back towards the net to a waiting Lina. The pile up in front of the net squirted the puck out to the left side to Mary Beth who back handed up the puck for what turned out to be the game winning goal.

After the game, nearly all of the Rebels went to eat at Joe's Crab Shack to talk about the game and to await the score of the Black Widows versus Wildcat Icers game. The Black Widows 7-0 win locked the Rebels in as the number three seed of the playoffs. The game result news, learned by cellular phone, made us a little noisier group amongst the "Y.M.C.A." cheerleading and good food.

The Rebels started out slowly as the Roadrunners outshot the Rebels 10-5 and took a 1-0 lead going into the second period.

The break between the periods was what the Rebels needed to change the pace of the game. An explosion of shots (9-4) and goals (3-0) was the result as the Rebels took over the game.

Mary Beth scored her second goal of the tournament to tie the game at 1-1 on a setup drive into the zone by Cara. Lina scored her second goal of the tournament as Colleen slid the goal ahead puck over to her and thus giving the Rebels a 2-1 lead near the mid point of the game. Finally, Katherine scored her second goal of the tournament on a pass from Carol to give the Rebels an insurance goal and a 3-1 lead into the third period.

With a shot at the Championship Game just 14 minutes away, ever member of this Rebels' team played heads up hockey: Scoring was not the call of action now - doing the little things right would be the order for a championship appearance. In the end, great goaltending, excellent defensive man to man play and smart puck movement preserved a 3-1 win and a shot at the number one seeded Southern California Black Widows for the Rebels first ever Las Vegas Women's Hockey Classic title opportunity.

With a little more than three minutes left in the first period, Karen won a face-off in the Rebels' neutral zone and with a second effort kicked the puck out and moved it up ice. Colleen controlled the puck in the offensive zone and slide the puck to a waiting Lorraine. Then the Rebels to a 1-0 lead on Karen's first goal of the tournament on the setup pass from Lorraine. The Rebels' bench erupted as Karen returned to the bench saying "I wanted that goal. I really wanted it."

At the end of two periods, the Rebels were being outshot be the Black Widows 15-8 but holding on to a 1-0 lead and looking at 14 minutes away from a big victory. A championship title win. Would it be that quick?

Words could be heard from the opposing bench but an air of calmness and confidence rested on the Rebels' bench. Was it the power crystals, the teal super ball, the imitation rhinestones or was someone looking down from above?

The third period began like the first with the Black Widows controlling the puck. As the clock approached the final three minutes of the period, the Black Widows scored to tie the game at 1-1. The Rebels' players coming off the ice felt somewhat deflating for the score. No one could be blamed for the goal as it had to be a perfect shot. And it was!

The overtime period turned out to be a defensive battle as the puck moved between the face-off circles. Each rush was successfully defended but both benches were feeling the effects of an extended game as the play was noticeably slower. As the period slipped under the four minutes remaining mark, the Rebels made a last break for the opposing net. Carol held onto the puck long enough to feed a well positioned Katherine for the Championship winning goal.

Our namesake, Cathy Valenti, was smiling: Her girls did good. They are the 2001 Las Vegas Women's Hockey Classic Champions.