Rangers Sink Otters' Comeback Bid with Game-Winning Goal in Final Two Minutes

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OHL Erie Otters

Rangers Sink Otters' Comeback Bid with Game-Winning Goal in Final Two Minutes

January 26, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Erie, Pennsylvania - A late-January Saturday night contest would signal the final meeting of the regular season for the Erie Otters and Kitchener Rangers, as Erie would look to bookend the season series with wins. After a season-opening victory at Kitchener, the Erie Otters had lost four-straight contests against their Midwest Division foe, but would have a chance to end things on a positive note in front of the hometown faithful. This Saturday night game night would be a special - and unique! - one for the Otters, with Superhero Night (pres. by Grady's Decision) seeing the Otters wear specialty superhero warm-up jerseys and promote an organization working to help northwest Pennsylvania families who had children spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. With a chance for everyone to be a hero, the Otters would also celebrate National Blood Donor Month by having a blood drive in-arena during the game with Community Blood Bank. A busy Saturday with plenty at stake in downtown Erie.

The puck would drop in the EIA and, with a crowd full of everyday heroes, the Otters would look to do some heroics of their own against the Kitchener Rangers. The game would turn physical from the start with both teams putting up some big checks. Both goaltenders would be put under heavy pressure, but both Jackson Parsons and Noah Erliden would continue to prove themselves as elite OHL netminders. Goaltenders would be the star of the show through the first ten minutes of play, facing surging offenses on both sides but be able to keep the game scoreless. Kitchener would draw first blood with Adrian Misaljevic (23), continuing last night's hat trick performance, putting the Rangers up 1-0. Less than a minute later, Jakub Chromiak (3) would extend the Kitchener lead 2-0. The Otters would be able to kill their first penalty of the night with six minutes left to play and, with two minutes remaining in the period, would go on their own man advantage. The Otters would be unable to capitalize on the man advantage and the period would end, Erie trailing 2-0 and being outshot 12-22.

Kitchener offense would dominate the opening minutes of the second frame, but Erie would continue to weather the passing storm and create dangerous opportunities in front of Jackson Parsons. Erie would finally find a breakthrough, and it would be Super Sam Alfano (28) to cut the Rangers' lead 2-1 with 14:06 left to play. Erie would continue to chip away at Kitchener's stalwart defense, putting up opportunity after opportunity to close the gap in shot differential. The Otters would go on their second power play of the night with eight minutes left to play and Malcolm Spence (19) would knot this game up at 2-2. Penalties on either side would see four-on-four hockey, but a surging Erie offense would continue to pound on Kitchener's door for the remainder of the second period. The fruits of the Otters' labor would finally be seen - a penalty shot with just over three minutes left to play. Captain of the Erie Otters and a Team USA gold medalist, our very own Captain America, Carey Terrance would slip the puck past Jackson Parsons and give the Otters a 3-2 lead. The period would end, shots tied at 26-26 and the good guys up by one.

The Otters would go on their third penalty kill of the night less than a minute into the period, but even being a man down would not be enough to stop the Erie momentum. While successfully killing the penalty and remaining perfect on the PK, Erie would also have breakaway opportunities to keep Jackson Parsons on his toes. A shot off the post would be the only thing keeping Erie from pulling away even further. After a scoreless second period, Andrew Vermeulen (8) would find the back of the net and tie the game up at 3-3. The Otters would go on the power play and look to do some damage with the man advantage, and Noah Erliden would have to utilize his spider senses to keep the Rangers from finding the back of the net for the second time in the period. Erie would be unable to take a lead on the power play and even-strength play would resume. With less than 3:30 left, Nathan Sauder would go down hard and the Rangers would take advantage and find the back of the net to retake the lead - or so they thought. The goal would be reversed after a high-sticking call would be found on further review. Back level at 3-3, the Otters would almost immediately find themselves back on the penalty kill after Ty Henry would get called for tripping. The Rangers would make sure to put the puck away this time and both retake the lead and ruin the Otters' perfect penalty kill streak. The Otters would pull Noah Erliden in an attempt to force an overtime, but the final seconds would tick to an end and the Otters would fall 4-3.

The three-in-three weekend concludes for the Erie Otters on Sunday afternoon, as they travel to the Meridian Centre to bookend the weekend against the Niagara IceDogs. Erie downed Niagara in the shootout, 1-0, to end a thrilling 3-2 victory on Friday night at home. Erie will then prepare for a three-game road trip next week that takes them to Owen Sound, London, and Sarnia, before returning home for the annual School Day Game against the Guelph Storm on Tuesday, February 4.

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