Rangers trump Attack at the Bayshore
The Owen Sound Attack couldn’t shake off the Christmas rust and the Kitchener Rangers made them pay for that on Thursday, Dec. 28.
In the first game back from the holiday, Kitchener used three unanswered first period goals to grab the lead an never look back in what wound up as a 5-1 victory for the visitors.
Kitchener took advantage of some early powerplay time and put Owen Sound down a pair before the first period was even 15:00 old.
After successfully killing off a too-many-men penalty, the Rangers were sent to a man advantage of their own after Markus Phillips was tagged with 4:00 for high sticking at the 9:37 mark of the frame.
Greg Meireles made it 1-0 for the visitors just 1:20 into the powerplay, scoring from the doorstep with Olivier Lafreniere in a prone position and no chance to make a save.
Then, just after the remainder of Phillips’ penalty had come to an end, Joseph Garreffa wired a shot past the Attack keeper, who was screened by a trio of players and couldn’t see the shot coming.
The Rangers weren’t done there either, and before the horn sounded to signal the end of the 1st the score would become 3-0.
With 44 seconds left in the frame, Rickard Hugg blasted home a one-time pass from Cole Carter to give Kitchener a field goal sized advantage at the break, and a 14-4 advantage on the shot clock.
The 2nd period wasn’t as nearly as lopsided as the first, but the Attack still failed to score and surrendered the only goal of the stanza when Connor Bunnaman scored on a back door pass from Joseph Garreffa on the powerplay at the 3:36 mark of the 2nd.
That goal made it 4-0 for the Rangers, a score that would stand after 4:00 of play despite Owen Sound outshooting their guests 10-5 in the period.
The Attack got one back in the 3rd eventually, scoring on a scramble thanks to a Markus Phillips blast from the high slot that made it 4-1 at the 11:26 mark.
The unassisted goal snapped what was a stretch of 168 minutes and 31 seconds of goalless hockey for Owen Sound, a time period that dated back to the 2:55 mark of the Attack’s 2-1 shootout loss at the hands of the Kingston Frontenacs on Saturday, Dec. 16.
That goal didn’t give Owen Sound any momentum though.
Jack York restored the Rangers’ four goal advantage with just over 4:00 remaining in regulation, bringing to a close what was a 5-1 Kitchener victory in the 1st game back after the Christmas break.
Kitchener swept the Mac Taylor Corporation 3 Stars with Joseph Garreffa, Rickard Hugg, and Connor Bunnaman earning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd stars respectively.
Olivier Lafreniere was named the Hatten Home Building Centre Hardest Working Player of the Game, making 22 saves on the night.
The Mark McDade Chestnut Park Shots on Goal finished at 28-27 for the Attack on the evening.
Owen Sound is back in action on Saturday night when they host the Barrie Colts in the 1st of a home-and-home series.
Puck drop – which features the 1st ever matchup between the Suzuki brothers – goes at 7:30pm with a limited number of tickets available at the MacVicar & McComb ReMax Attack Box Office or by calling 519-371-7452.
This season of Attack Hockey is brought to you by Lerners Personal Injury Lawyers and Bertrand & Muzzell Paralegal Services.
