Rangers rally to beat Hounds

The Kitchener Rangers used a pair of quick third period goals to defeat the Soo Greyhounds on Sunday afternoon. With the Greyhounds leading 2-1 heading into the third period, Kitchener scored two goals 45 seconds apart early in the third period and held on for a 4-2 Ontario Hockey League victory in front of 2,317 fans at Memorial Gardens. With the loss, the Greyhounds end their two-game homestand with a win and a loss and fall to 1-4-1 overall on the season. The Rangers improve to 4-1 with an overtime loss. Kitchener opened the scoring in the first period with a two-man advantage. With Chris Lawrence and Jeff Carter sitting in the penalty box after each took high sticking minors, Petr Kanko beat Hounds goaltender Kevin Druce for the 1-0 lead. The Greyhounds rebounded in the second period as Jeff Carter, who played a strong game throughout, banged home a loose puck on the power play to tie the game at 1-1. Lawrence scored his first OHL goal later in the period as the first round draft pick skated in alone down the left side and snapped a shot past Kitchener goalie Carlo DiRienzo to give the home side a 2-1 lead. Just over a minute into the third period, Mike Richards scored for Kitchener as his shot snuck its way through the short side of Druce. Paul McFarland scored 45 seconds later as he fired a quick shot up high on Druce to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead. Richards scored his second goal into an empty net in game's final minute. Druce had another solid game for the Greyhounds, stopping 40 of the 43 shots he faced in net. Matt Puntureri added a pair of assists for the Greyhounds. Greyhounds overage forward Scott Dobben sat out the third game of a five game suspension handed out by the league for shooting a puck into the crowd after a whistle during a game in Kitchener last weekend. The Greyhounds will now prepare for a tough three game west division road swing next weekend. The Hounds are in Sarnia on Friday night, visit Plymouth on Saturday night and play in Windsor next Monday afternoon. In other OHL games on Sunday afternoon, Justin McCutcheon scored a power play goal in the third period to give Saginaw a 3-2 win over Sudbury. Erie scored two power play goals in the third period to beat Toronto St. Michael's 4-2. On Saturday, Brampton beat Toronto 3-1, Kitchener defeated Saginaw 3-1, Windsor blanked Belleville 4-0, Plymouth shutout Sudbury 5-0, Guelph beat Erie 7-4, Sarnia edged Owen Sound 4-3 and Peterborough defeated Barrie 3-2. Ken Hilderley