Four Landsharks recorded hat tricks in Columbus' 15-11 comeback win over the Ottawa Rebel Friday night at Corel Centre.

Kyle Arbuckle opened the scoring for the Landsharks with his first of three goals on the night with a a nice passing play less than three minutes into the game. The Rebel then took control of the game, scoring four goals over the next ten minutes, three of them on the power play. Both teams seemed disorganized for this part of the game, as if they felt like they were in the wrong place and trying to get to where they were supposed to be. The result was many missed passes and premature shots on goal. A goal by Gewas Schindler, another hat trick scorer, with nineteen seconds remaining in the quarter brought the score to 4-2 in favor of the Rebel.

The second quarter started with an exciting two-man breakaway in the first minute. Andrew Leyshon came up big and made a great save. The Landsharks kept the pressure on scoring the next two goals to tie the game at four on Kasey Beirnes' first of three strikes, at 10:32 of the quarter. That goal was scored with two Rebel players in the penalty box. a curious five-on-three advantage since the Rebel had only five penalties called on them in the game. The only Landsharks power play goal this evening, it seemed to set the Rebel on their heels. Jon Tarbell finished the scoring in the half on a nice passing play from Chris Konopliff and Mike Benedict. At the half, Ottawa by a goal, 5-4, although the Landsharks held the advantage in shots on goal, 31-23.

The Landsharks came out strong in the third quarter, scoring two goals in the first minute and a half, then settled into a style of play which kept the Rebel defense on the floor. Columbus kept possession of the ball staying spread out on the floor. This forced the Rebel defense on the run, chasing after the ball carrier. The Landsharks used up the thirty second clock, took a shot, and, many times, regained possession and a new thirty seconds to burn. This was a planned strategy to tire the Rebel defense and it worked. The Landsharks outscored the Rebel, 5-2, in this quarter. Both Rebel goals came on the power play. After three quarters, Columbus led, 9-4.

The fourth quarter was more of the same: the Landsharks forcing a tiring Rebel defense to chase them and the Rebel defense obliging. Ten goals were scored in this quarter, six by the Landsharks (including an empty net goal) and four by the Rebel. Matt Disher replaced Andrew Leyshon during the wild fourth quarter, and his entry seemed to lift the Rebel, as the home side got two goals in little more than a minute. But even Disher had to face a Landshark breakaway shot. He, too, came up big and looked good while he was in goal before Leyshon returned to play the last three and a half minutes. The last two Rebel goals were scored during that time but it was not enough tonight. The Rebel narrowed the shot deficit in the final period, to 55-53, but lost ground where it counted, losing by 15-11 count.

Ken Montour and Andrew Leyshon both played very well tonight, since most goals came from good passing plays. The scoring shows a good team effort by both teams -- ten of the Landsharks goals were scored on nice passing plays, with two assists awarded on each. The Rebel had seven two-assist goals. Seven different players scored goals for the Landsharks, with four of them -- Arbuckle, Schindler, Beirnes, and Neal Powless -- reaching hat trick level. Seven Ottawa players scored goals, and Jamie Roy got the only hat trick for the host Rebel. However, the Rebel's top point-scorer was Konopliff, with nine (two goals, seven assists).

Most of tonight's crowd of 5,372 stayed to the end, although a lot of complaints about the music were heard during halftime and at the end of the game. It is not very loud during play but whenever a goal is scored, the decibel level increases significantly. Some fans are vowing to drop their season tickets next year if things do not change soon. The loud music might be a league "tradition," but maybe it's time to review that tradition.

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
Columbus Landsharks (1-3)             2  2  5  6  --  15
Ottawa Rebel (1-4)                    4  1  2  4  --  11

COLUMBUS LANDSHARKS           OTTAWA REBEL
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Arbuckle       3 - 2     5    Konopliff      2 - 7     9
Beirnes        3 - 2     5    Benedict       1 - 4     5
Schindler      3 - 2     5    Roy            3 - 1     4
Jamieson       0 - 5     5    Painter        2 - 1     3
Powless        3 - 1     4    Marohl         1 - 2     3
Rothfuss       1 - 3     4    Evans          1 - 1     2
Steenhuis      0 - 2     2    Graham         0 - 2     2
D Suddons      0 - 2     2    Tarbell        1 - 0     1
Greer          1 - 1     2    Leyshon        0 - 1     1
Kahoun         1 - 1     2
Dawson         0 - 1     1
Warder         0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           55    Shots on goal           53
Saves made by (GA)      42    Saves made by (GA)      40
   Montour (11)      42          Leyshon (13)      37
                                 Disher (2)         3
Penalties                9    Penalties                5
Penalty Minutes         21    Penalty Minutes         13
Power Play Chances       3    Power Play Chances       7
Power Play Goals         1    Power Play Goals         5
   Beirnes            1          Painter            2
                                 Evans              1
                                 Konopliff          1
                                 Marohl             1
Loose Balls             63    Loose Balls             70
   Greer             11          Gelsvik            8
   Kahoun             8          A Guindon          7
   Warder             7          Marohl             6
                                 Raffan             6
                                 Roy                6
Faceoffs Won            20    Faceoffs Won             9
   Warder       (20- 9)          Graham       ( 4- 7)
                                 Konopliff    ( 4- 9)
                                 Evans        ( 1- 4)

   *** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH OTTAWA REBEL  ***