Kitchener Rangers limp into holiday break
Posted Dec 19, 2015 06:20:29 AM.
Last Updated Mar 2, 2016 03:44:37 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Kitchener Rangers are likely happy to see the mid-season break. The 3rd ranked team in the CHL have struggled as of late, dropping thier thrid game in a row last night.
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (16-14-3-0) exploded with a five-goal third period to hand the Rangers (23-5-4-0) an 8-5 at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex on Friday night.
It’s the first time this season the Rangers have lost three straight games.
After being tied 2-2 after one period and 3-3 after two, it was the Rangers who etched the scoresheet first in the final frame, taking a 4-3 lead on a goal by Elijah Roberts just over two minutes into the period. It was a shortlived lead, however, as the Greyhounds would score four consecutive goals and storm back to take a 7-4 lead en route to the win.
Luke Richardson suffered the loss for the Rangers, allowing six goals on 35 shots. Liam Devine replaced him following the Soo’s sixth goal of the game in the third period.
Morgan Frost opened the scoring at 5:15 of the first period giving the Greyhunds. Just over three minutes later they would take a 2-0 lead, as Jack Kopecka beat Richardson at 8:26 from Gustav Bouramman and Colton White.
The Rangers climbed back into the period after getting into an early hole, as Miles Liberati tallied his tenth goal of the season to make it 2-1 at 11:12. They tied the game on a Darby Llewellyn goal at 15:39 from Gustaf Franzen and Brian Brosnan to send the game to the first intermission in a 2-2 draw.
Mascherin gave the Rangers their first lead of the night at the 15:20 mark of the second period. The lead was shortlived, however, as Blake Speers once again tied the game at 18:09 to close out the period tied 3-3.
Roberts got the offensive started in the third period with his second goal of the season at the 2:13 mark, assisted by David Miller and Dylan Di Perna. A power play goal by Senyshyn tied the game 4-4 with Tim Gettinger and Speers picking up the helpers.
Senyshyn scored again to regain the lead for the Greyhounds, beating Richardson just 2:22 later from Gabe Guertler and Hore.
Yet another power play goal, this time off the stick of MacIntyre, was the first of a pair of Greyhounds goals scored just 32 seconds apart to give Sault Ste. Marie a 6-4 lead – which was the eventual game winner – from Hore and Speers.
Hayden Verbeek from Waterloo native Boris Katchouk at 12:46 put the Greyhounds up 7-4, which ended the night of Richardson in favour of Devine. Franzen answered for the Rangers on the power play from Liberati and Bracco at 17:46 to make it 7-5 which seemed to breathe some life into the team and their fans, but Senyshyn would complete the hat trick and solidify the two points for his team with an empty net goal at 19:41.
The Rangers return from the holiday break on Tuesday, December 29th when they host the London Knights for the first time this season at the Aud at 7:30pm.
