Sherwood schools Otters with four-point effort in Rangers win
Kole Sherwood sure woke up on the right side of the bed on Wednesday morning.
The newly acquired Sherwood potted his first goal in a Rangers uniform and finished with a four-point game (2G, 2A) as the Kitchener Rangers (9-6-1-0) handed the host Erie Otters (7-7-1-1) a convincing 7-3 drubbing in front of 3,034 fans at the Erie Insurance Arena in a 10:30 a.m. School Day Game.
Connor Bunnaman and Cole Carter each added a pair of goals to the Rangers offence in the win, while Adam Mascherin (1G, 1A), Kyle Gentles (2A), Joseph Garreffa (2A) and Giovanni Vallati (2A) all added two points in the team’s most potent offensive outburst since their five-goal game vs. the Flint Firebirds on October 15.
The regulation defeat for the Otters ends a 5-0-0-1 streak by the team, and gives Erie just its second home regulation loss of the season; the other coming at the hands of the Rangers back on September 30.
Luke Richardson (3-5-1-0) picked up his second straight win in goal for the Rangers, making 24 saves.
Anand Oberoi (3-3-0-0) took the loss, surrendering seven goals on 44 Rangers’ shots.
It took just 23 seconds for the Rangers to get on the board in the morning affair as Carter buried his second goal of the season, from Gentles and Garreffa, to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
It was a short-lived lead, however, as Gera Poddubnyi tied things up at 1-1 just under two minutes in, from Patrick Fellows and Josh Wainman at 1:54.
Sherwood etched the scoresheet and picked up his first goal in a Rangers uniform after capitalizing on an Erie turnover which produced a breakaway opportunity for the winger. His first of the season gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead, and came unassisted at 4:20.
Before the period was out the Rangers would add another, as Bunnaman notched his seventh goal of the season to put the Rangers up 3-1, from Gentles, at 15:14.
Shots on goal through the first 20 minutes of play leaned heavily in Kitchener’s favour, 13-5.
Near the midway point of the second period the Otters celebrated after what they thought was their second goal of the game. The puck crossed the Kitchener goal line, but the referee immediately blew the whistle and waved off the goal, saying the net was off its moorings.
After video review the call on the ice was, in fact, reversed and the Otters were given credit for their second goal of the game, cutting the Rangers lead to 3-2. Taylor Raddysh earned his seventh goal of the season, from Kyle Maksimovich, at 9:47 of the second period.
But the Rangers continued to press, and just over one minute later the play of their captain restored the visitors two-goal lead.
Bunnaman’s second of the game came as he backed in from beneath the goal line and powered toward the net, beating Oberoi to give the Rangers a 4-2 lead on the power play, from Sherwood and Garreffa, at 10:53.
After 40 minutes of play the Rangers led the Otters on the shot clock, 25-15.
Carter’s second goal of the game came just as the Rangers next power play expired, as Kitchener took a 5-2 lead at 3:52 of the third period, from Greg Meireles and Logan Stanley, before Poddubnyi was able to leave the Erie box and jump back into the play.
Mascherin chipped in with some offence of his own later in the period to make it a 6-2 game, from Sherwood and Vallati at 10:43, before Sherwood’s second of the game, from Mascherin and Vallati at 14:33, made it 7-2 Rangers.
The Otters added a final marker on the morning as Maksimovich made it 7-3, from Ivan Lodnia, at 15:51 to round out the game’s scoring.
Third period shots on goal were 19-12 Kitchener, and 44-27 Rangers after regulation.
The Rangers would finish the game 1-for-3 on the power play while the Otters went 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
Cole Carter (KIT) (3), Connor Bunnaman (KIT) (2), and Kole Sherwood (KIT) (1) were selected as the Three Stars of the Game.
Logan Stanley, Adam Mascherin, and Cole Carter each wore an “A” and skated as alternates to Rangers’ captain Connor Bunnaman.
The Rangers are back at home on Friday, November 3rd when they host the Guelph Storm at 7:30pm.
Regular season tickets to all Kitchener Rangers home games are $23.00 each for adults, $19.00 for children 12 and under including HST, and are available in person or by calling the Activa Box Office at The Aud, from Centre in the Square (519) 578-1570 -or- 1-800-265-8977, or by purchasing online.
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