RAYNHAM – Boston Junior Rangers Blue got their opening round of play at the 2015 New England Pro-Am Hockey Pre-Draft Showcase Started with a win Friday morning at the Raynham IcePlex. Twice the Rangers had to overcome second half comebacks by Premier Sports Gray to hold on to a 4-3 win.
It was a hot start for the Rangers, gaining an early 2-0 lead in the game’s first three minutes on goals from Mike McPherson and Alex Mitsionis, but much of the first half was quite as the scoring was silent from then on out. Most of the damage was done in the latter stages of the game, a flurry of goals coming to start the second half.
Premier Sports got a quick pair to draw things back to even at 2-2 – Dustin Rinaldo scoring at 1:26, Jamie Carnavalla at 5:42 – but a short-handed score by Rangers defenseman Brent Sullivan at 7:03 put the lead back in their hands at 3-2.
Premier Sports remained diligent in their efforts, however, once again coming back to tie the game, this time on a power play goal by Patrick Mullowney at 15:02. Yet, as before the Rangers would not let the lead slip away from them for long. Connor Rubin coming through with the game-winning goal less than four minutes later at 18:40.
Marcus Mitchell backstopped the winning effort for the Rangers. Sullivan (1G, 1A) and Premier forward Zach Gordon (2A) were the game’s only multipoint scorers.