Nov 18, 2024 | David McKenna | 553 views
Waterloo Memorial Tournament
RANGERS LOSE IN FINAL
This past weekend, the Rangers played in the Waterloo Memorial Tournament.
All in all, it was a great weekend but not the ending we had worked for.
To kick off the tourney the boys beat a very solid Kingston Canadians team 4-3 in a spirited affair and capped the first day off with a 4-3 victory over the Kent Cobras.
On day 2, the Rangers beat the Milton Menace 9-2 and Ajax / Pickering Raiders 4-1.
Once the round robin concluded, the Rangers finished in 1st place and set up a rematch with the Raiders.
The semi-final game was entertaining and required some late minute heroics. The boys pushed the pace and were on the offensive side of the puck for majority of the game. The Raiders goalie played extremely well, and the Rangers did not grab the lead until the 3rd period with just under 5 minutes remaining, where Johnston scored to put the Rangers up 1-0. Ripley added an empty netter with just under a minute left. The Raiders had no quit and scored with 13 seconds left to make it a game again.
The boys prevailed winning 2-1 and set up the Championship game with their cross-town rivals, The Waterloo Wolves.
It was a fast paced, hard-hitting game where both teams showcased their skill. The Wolves goalie was terrific throughout and were leading 4-0 at the end of the second period.
In the 3rd, the boys refused to give up and kept throwing pucks at the net. The Rangers eventually cracked the Wolves and their goaltender scoring three times in the 3rd to add some suspense. However, the Rangers weren't able to bury the fourth and the Wolves were crowned Champs.
The boys will move on and prepare for the busy schedule ahead with three league games over the next week and the Sudbury Silver Stick at the end of the month where we hope Brayden Beatson will be back in the lineup.
There were plenty of positives over the weekend. Cormier and Ripley were 1-2 in tournament scoring. We also welcomed a fresh face to the team - Calvin Cahill. Calvin joins us from the U18 AAA Oakville Rangers. Calvin is a quick and talented player, and we look forward to watching him play out the remainder of the season for us.