The Kitchener Rangers and Barrie Colts were both missing key players from their respective line ups in the first meeting of the season between the clubs.

The Colts opened the scoring at the 11:30 mark of the first period when Steven Beyers collected a long lead pass from captain Ryan O’Connor and carried it over the Rangers’ blueline. The overage forward lifted a high shot past Rangers starter Franky Palazzese to record his seventh goal of the season.

Each team fired 11 shots on goal through 20 minutes.

Kitchener evened the score a 1-1 less than a minute into the middle frame. Eric Ming picked up his sixth of the year, snapping the puck over the left shoulder of Barrie netminder Mathias Niederberger. Freshman centre Justin Scott re-established the Colts’ one-goal lead five minutes later, shoveling a puck under Palazzese for his second career OHL marker. Veteran forward Zach Hall picked up his 41st point of the season with an assist on the play.

Barrie jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the latter half of the period when Andreas Athanasiou fired a high shot just under the crossbar. Andreas Athanasiou has scored 17 goals and a career-high 39 points since joining the Colts for this 2012-13 season. The assist was credited to winger Brendan Perlini.

Josh MacDonald added an empty net goal for the Colts with 20.6 seconds remaining, sealing a 4-1 Colts victory. Beyers earned his second point of the game with a helper on the play. Mathias Niederberger stood tall in the cage making 37 saves on the night for his eighteenth win of the season.

The Barrie Colts (24-9-0-1) will return home for a match up against the Erie Otters Saturday December 29^th at 7:30.