Game Recap: Two Hat tricks as Kitchener thumps Erie
Game Summary: Kitchener put up double-digit goals in their 10-3 win over Erie on Tuesday night. Antonino Pugliese scored two of his four goals early and the Rangers never looked back after taking the lead in the OHL’s only game of the night. The Rangers improved their home record to 11-1 in their eighth straight win.
The four goals for Pugliese and three for Filip Mesar are both of their first career OHL hat tricks. Carson Rehkopf continued to dominate, recording five points to extend his lead as both the OHL and CHL leader in points. This is the first time he has recorded five points in a game. Justin Bottineau recorded his first career multi-point night in the win. He, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Roman Schmidt all recorded three assists. Jackson Parsons added to his OHL win lead registering his 12th win of the season.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period
ER 0, KIT 1
4:15 Antonino Pugliese (5) – Matthew Andonovski, Justin Bottineau
Pugliese got The Aud going early, scoring just 4:15 into the game. He found the puck in the far corner and sent it up to the point where Andonovski was waiting. Andonovski took a shot from the point but Pugliese tipped it down and it got by Jacob Gibbons, giving the Blueshirts an early lead.
ER 0, KIT 2
8:06 Antonino Pugliese (6) – Justin Bottineau, Cameron Mercer
Following an offensive faceoff loss, Bottineau worked hard to get the puck back. As he did just outside of the Erie zone, he cut to the far half wall. From here he found Pugliese in the slot who rocketed a one-timer home for his first career two-goal game.
ER 0, KIT 3
12:45 Filip Mesar (6) – Roman Schmidt, Carson Rehkopf
Mesar scored Kitchener’s third unanswered goal of the first period on their eleventh shot. Mesar battled hard in the neutral zone and forced Erie to turn the puck over. From here he brought it into the Erie zone and the puck jumped around. Mesar found it back on his stick and sent a seemingly harmless knuckleball shot on the net. However, it snuck over the shoulder of Gibbons and put the Rangers up three.
ER 1, KIT 3
15:29 Martin Misiak (10) – Pano Fimis, Ondrej Molnar – PPG
Erie’s powerplay was given an opportunity following a slashing call at 14:27 to Simon Motew. The Otters powerplay was ranked fourth best in the OHL headed into tonight’s contest, and it capitalized, bringing Erie back within two goals. Molnar had the puck in the far corner before passing it to the point where Fimis was standing. He sent it cross-ice to Misiak who sniped his sixth powerplay goal of the year glove side on Jackson Parsons.
ER 1, KIT 4
17:10 Filip Mesar (7) – Carson Rehkopf, Hunter Brzustewicz
On the breakout, Brzustewicz sent a backhand pass to Mesar at the Erie blueline. Mesar sent it over to Rehkop who sent it back to Mesar to snipe it for his second goal of the game, bringing Kitchener back up three goals headed into intermission.
2nd Period
ER 2, KIT 4
5:37 Owain Johnston (1) – Pano Fimis – PPG
A penalty to Matthew Sop for holding at 5:32 led to Erie’s second powerplay goal of the game. Fimis won the draw in the Rangers end back to Johnston on the point. Johnston sent a shot on net from the point that beat Parsons for his first goal of the year.
ER 3, KIT 4
10:38 Carey Terrance (16) – Malcolm Spence – SHG
On a Rangers powerplay, a pass meant for Sop was intercepted by Spence and brought toward the Rangers blueline. From here Spence sent a saucer pass to Terrance for a breakaway. Terrance went forehand to backhand and brought Erie within one goal again. Terrance has scored all three Erie shorthanded goals this season.
ER 3, KIT 5
11:46 Tanner Lam (5) – Roman Schmidt – PPG
The Rangers responded on the same powerplay with six seconds remaining. Schmidt found the puck off a rebound of a Luke Ellinas shot and walked the blue line. Schmidt saw Lam sitting on the blocker side post and sent the puck diagonally through the zone to Lam who shot the puck bar down over Gibbons’ shoulder. Lam’s fifth goal of the season extended the Blueshirts’ lead back to two.
ER 3, KIT 6
16:01 Filip Mesar (8) – Carson Rehkopf, Hunter Brzustewicz – PPG
38 seconds into the Rangers’ powerplay Mesar scored his first career OHL hat trick. Rehkopf sent a pass across the blueline and Mesar walked in and sniped the puck over the blocker-side shoulder to extend Kitchener’s lead to three.
3rd Period
ER 3, KIT 7
4:03 Antonino Pugliese (7) – Cameron Mercer, Hunter Brzustewicz
Pugliese then registered his first career OHL hat trick to give Kitchener a four-goal lead. Mercer possessed the puck behind the net and sent it out front to the slot where Pugliese was streaking. He one-timed it and sent hats onto the ice for the second time in the game.
ER 3, KIT 8
9:25 Trent Swick (9) – Carson Rehkopf, Filip Mesar
After Gibbons made a wonderful stop on Mesar, Rehkopf found the puck with no pressure behind the net. Rehkopf recorded his fourth assist of the night as he found Swick all alone in front of the net. Swick had no problems scoring on a half-empty net as Gibbons struggled to find the puck following his initial save.
ER 3, KIT 9
11:06 Antonino Pugliese (9) – Roman Schmidt, Justin Bottineau – PPG
Fimis took a high sticking penalty at 10:05, which led to another Rangers powerplay and Pugliese scored his fourth goal of the game. Pugliese held the puck at the top of the zone and rifled through Andonovski’s perfect screen on Gibbons to score Kitchener’s fifth unanswered goal.
ER 3, KIT 10
12:26 Carson Rehkopf (25) – Trent Swick, Simon Motew
A blocked shot by Motew sent Rehkopf flying down the ice. Rehkopf and Swick entered on a two-on-one. Rehkopf passed the puck over to Swick, who passed it right back to Rehkopf on a breakaway where he went forehand to backhand and put a double-digit score on the board.
The Stars:
First Star: Antonino Pugliese (4G)
Second Star: Filip Mesar (3G, 1A)
Third Star: Carson Rehkopf (1G, 4A)
The Goalies:
Gibbons stopped 30 of 40 shots in the loss. The loss moves his season record to 0-2-1. In the other end, Parsons recorded 16 saves in the win while giving up three goals. The win adds to his league-leading win total as his record moves to 12-4.
The Numbers Game:
Shots: ER 19, KIT 40
Powerplay: ER 2-3, KIT 3-5
FO%: ER 52.9%, KIT 47.1%
Up Next: Kitchener will play at the Aud Friday for their fifth match of the season against Owen Sound. The Rangers have split the season series with two wins each throughout the four games played and will look to extend their win streak to nine in the contest. This is the first of three games this weekend for the East Avenue Blue. Don’t miss any of the action from the hottest team in the CHL and get your tickets at The Aud box office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online here.
Photo Credit: Christian Bender / Kitchener Rangers
For inquiries, contact:
Lindsay Eastwood
Manager of Communications and Team Services
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
613-793-0168
[email protected]
