Storm edged by Kitchener’s penalty-shot goal in OT
KITCHENER – The Guelph Storm suffered their third consecutive loss in Ontario Hockey League play as they were edged 3-2 in overtime by the Kitchener Rangers at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
The Storm led 2-0 after the second period, but Kitchener rallied with a pair of third-period goals to force the game into overtime, the tying goal coming with 41 seconds to go in regulation time on a scramble around the Guelph net with the Rangers having pulled goaltender Jackson Parsons in favour of an extra attacker.
Zander Veccia in the first period and Jett Luchanko in the second had the goals for the Storm. Gavin Grundner, Braeden Bowman and Rowan Topp each had an assist.
Matthew Sop scored the winner for Kitchener on a penalty shot at 1:53 of overtime, the goal putting an end to a five-game losing streak for the Rangers.
It was Sop’s second goal of the game as he also scored the tying goal while Filip Mesar scoring the other goal. Trent Swick assisted on both third-period goals while Carson Rehkopf also had an assist.
The Storm outshot the Rangers 25-23 and neither team netted a power-play goal, the Storm having three power plays and Kitchener having five.
Damian Slavik had 20 saves for the Storm and Parsons had 23 for Kitchener.
The loss leaves the Storm fifth in the Western Conference at 25-18-3-1. The Rangers are fourth at 31-16-2-0 and are 10 points ahead of the Storm. The Owen Sound Attack are sixth at 23-20-3-1, four points behind the Storm, and the Erie Otters are seventh at 22-20-4-0, six points behind Guelph.
The Storm are to host the conference-leading London Knights (33-11-0-3) Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Sleeman Centre.
- Guelph Sports Journal