KELOWNA, British Columbia — Kitchener captain Cameron Reid opened the scoring and assisted on all three goals in a decisive surge as the Rangers defeated the Everett Silvertips 6-2 on Monday night in the Memorial Cup.
Reid, the star defenseman drafted 21st overall by the Nashville Predators last summer, scored at 3:05 of the first period on a shot from the left boards. After Everett tied the game at 2 in the second period, Reid assisted on goals by Christian Humphreys, Gabriel Chiarot and Jack Pridham in a span of 4:37 to give Kitchener a 5-2 lead.
Pridham also scored a power-play goal in the first period, while Cameron Arquette added a goal in the third. Christian Kirsch made 38 saves for Kitchener after backstopping the team to a 5-0 win over host Kelowna on Friday.
"Kitchener improved to 2-0 to wrap up a semifinal spot and a chance to advance straight to the final in the four-team tournament," the report stated.
Rylan Gould had a goal and an assist for Everett, while Matias Vanhanen also scored. Anders Miller stopped 22 shots in net for the Silvertips, who had beaten Chicoutimi 5-3 on Saturday night.
Kitchener, the Ontario Hockey League champion, will close round-robin play Tuesday night against Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champion Chicoutimi. Everett, the Western Hockey League champion, faces Kelowna on Wednesday night in the final round-robin game.
Reid, who is bound for Quinnipiac University, helped the Rangers pull away during a stretch that included a fight between Kitchener’s Andrew MacNiel and Jaxsin Vaughan in the second period.
The Seattle-area Silvertips are trying to become the fourth U.S. franchise to win the Memorial Cup, following the Portland Winterhawks in 1983 and 1998, the Spokane Chiefs in 1991 and 2008, and the Saginaw Spirit in 2024.
Kirsch, the goaltender for Kitchener, was drafted by the San Jose Sharks and has shown strong form early in the tournament with back-to-back shutout and near-shutout performances.
Officials noted that the Rangers’ balanced attack and strong defensive play have positioned them well for a potential bye into the championship game.
Everett will need a strong showing in its remaining games to keep its title hopes alive in the prestigious junior hockey tournament.