Tracey Kelusky scored eight goals Sunday afternoon, leading the Calgary Roughnecks to a 26-16 victory over the Ottawa Rebel at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

Three other Roughnecks had hat tricks, as Calgary posted its highest single-game score in team history.

Calgary walked into the contest following a rough road trip to the East Coast which saw them drop both games, while Ottawa came in just two days after losing a divisional match with the Vancouver Ravens.

Calgary needed the win to continue its playoff run, and came out in the first quarter ready to roll. The Roughnecks won the opening faceoff and controlled the pace of the game up to the 2:01 mark, when Kelusky scored on Calgary's initial shot on goal.

It should've been an omen to the Ottawa squad, but things compounded and got much worse in a hurry. Lewis Ratcliff scored, followed by Neil Doddridge, and Matt Disher left the game with a single save to his credit.

Andrew Leyshon entered the game and was met with a fantastic over the shoulder shot by Tracey Kelusky to make it four goals on five shots in five minutes.

Calgary's first stumble of the game came when Rob Kirkby and Jesse Phillips took penalties to give the Rebel a two-minute five-on-three power play. Jason Clark took advantage of it, but Tyson Leies scored before the second penalty ended to restore the four-goal lead.

Ratcliffe then scored his second of the quarter, before Clark took care of an another Calgary penalty situation and ended the first quarter 6-2 in favor of the Roughnecks.

The Roughnecks hit penalty trouble early in the second, and this time it was Brad Self that took advantage. However, Kaleb Toth then woke up his offensive talent and blasted one past Leyshon.

Ottawa had an answer, with Mat Giles and Jason Clark combining for a three-goal run. That brought the Rebel to within one but it never caught the break it needed to reach even terms with the Roughnecks.

Kelusky and Leies each scored to put an end to the Rebel run. The quarter ended with Clark and Kelusky swapping goals back and forth, to finish the half at 10-8, Roughnecks. Clark had five goals by the time the second quarter buzzer sounded.

Once again, the halftime pep talk was heard loud and clear by the Roughneck players, and a mere 42 seconds into the third quarter, Kelusky scored his fifth of the game.

Ottawa got back on the board with Kevin Howard scoring, but following that Calgary went on another run. Ratcliff, Kelusky and Kyle Goundrey put two goals behind Leyshon and one past Disher, to make the score 14-9.

Mat Giles stepped up to score his hat trick goal on another Rebel power play but the back-breaking Roughneck scoring run came next. The final four goals of the quarter came off of Roughneck sticks, as Doddridge, Brad MacArthur (only holding the stick with one hand while defending against the back-checking Brad Self), Toth and Kelusky put the Roughnecks up, 18-10.

Tyson Leies wasn't going to let the Roughneck run end just yet and scored another goal at the start of the fourth quarter, making the lead nine goals. Scott Self scored to interrupt the Roughies, but it was only a blip on the radar screen as moments later Kelusky had an answer.

Jason Clark made the most of his power play time and scored his sixth of the game (his third while up a man), which was followed by a quick inside move from Kevin Dostie for his first of the game.

Yet another Roughneck run was on tap as Toth, John Kilbride (two) and Phillips scored the next four goals to put it 24-13. Stephen Evans and Kevin Dostie scored on Matt King, who had come in to give Curtis Palidwor some much earned rest, but Phillips and Ratcliff scored to make it an eleven goal difference.

Jamie Roy finally got a shot to go in, ending the scoring rampage which did wonders for the offensive players' stats but crushed the goaltenders' numbers. The 10,603 Roughneck faithful went home happy with their offense but had questions remaining over the occasional defensive lapses.

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
Ottawa Rebel (4-11)                   2  6  2  6  --  16
Calgary Roughnecks (8-6)              6  4  8  8  --  26

OTTAWA REBEL                  CALGARY ROUGHNECKS
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
J Clark        6 - 1     7    Kelusky        8 - 1     9
Giles          3 - 4     7    Ratcliff       4 - 2     6
Howard         1 - 4     5    Wulder         0 - 6     6
B Self         1 - 4     5    Toth           3 - 2     5
Dostie         2 - 2     4    J Phillips     2 - 3     5
Evans          1 - 2     3    Leies          3 - 1     4
S Self         1 - 2     3    Goundrey       1 - 3     4
Roy            1 - 1     2    Palidwor       0 - 4     4
Landriault     0 - 2     2    Doddridge      2 - 1     3
Lunnie         0 - 2     2    Kilbride       2 - 1     3
Codd           0 - 1     1    MacArthur      1 - 2     3
                              West-Pratt     0 - 3     3
                              Desormeaux     0 - 1     1
                              Kirkby         0 - 1     1
                              McBride        0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           48    Shots on goal           76
Saves made by (GA)      50    Saves made by (GA)      32
   Leyshon (16)      36          Palidwor (13)     28
   Disher (10)       14          King (3)           4
Penalties               10    Penalties               13
Penalty Minutes         26    Penalty Minutes         32
Power Play Chances       8    Power Play Chances       5
Power Play Goals         6    Power Play Goals         3
Loose Balls             50    Loose Balls             80
   Roy                9          Goundrey          14
   Leyshon            6          Palidwor           9
   S Self             5          J Phillips         8
Faceoffs Won            18    Faceoffs Won            27

*** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH CALGARY ROUGHNECKS ***