Kitchener Rangers drop 2 of 3 games over another busy weekend

It was another busy weekend for the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers, as they hit the ice three times in three days, while recording two losses and a win.

They opened the weekend on Friday night with a visit to the Aud by the North Bay Battalion in which Kitchener recorded a 3-2 victory.

Francesco Pinelli opened the scoring for the Rangers in the first period and Joseph Serpa scored a pair early in the second to extend the lead to 3-0.

Dalyn Wakely and Ty Nelson answered for the Battalion but the door was then closed by Rangers’ tender Marcus Vandenburg.

He made 39 saves on 41 shots to record the victory.

On Saturday, the Rangers went down Highway 7 for the latest installment of their rivalry with the Guelph Storm.

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Guelph jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on the strength of goals by Matthew Poitras, Max Namestnikov and Jake Karabela.

Matthew Sop answered early in the second for Kitchener as he would score his fourth of the season but Poitras would score again for the Storm before Cam Allen increased Guelph’s advantage to four.

The Rangers attempted to mount a challenge in the third period as Jesse Fishman and Carson Repkhof both found the back of the net but they ultimately fell short with the final score being 5-3.

Marco Costantini allowed four goals on 21 shots before being yanked for Vandenburg, who allowed one goal on eight shows to close out the game.

The Rangers got off to another slow start on Sunday night when the Windsor Spitfires came to town.

Michael Renwick, Jacob Maillet, Christopher O’Flaherty and Oliver Peer all beat Costantini before he was once again given the hook by Rangers coach Chris Dennis.

The switch seemed to inspire the club as Adam Zidlicky scored 21 seconds later for Kitchener. Francesco Pinelli  scored a pair to close the gap to one but that would be as close as Kitchener would get.

Alex Christopoulos would score a pair for Windsor while Matthew Maggio and Liam Greentree also found the net in an 8-4 victory.

Serpa would finish out the scoring for Kitchener.

The Rangers will look to turn things around when they host the London Knights on Friday night at the Aud.