Ryder Ritchie scored twice and added an assist as the Medicine Hat Tigers won another close game at the Memorial Cup on Monday, this time edging the Moncton Wildcats 3-1.
The Western Hockey League champion Tigers, who opened the four-team tournament on Friday with a 5-4 win over the host Rimouski Oceanic, will play the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights on Tuesday in a battle of 2-and-0 teams. The winner advances to Sunday’s championship game, while the loser will play in Friday’s semifinal.
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champion Wildcats, who got a third-period goal from Dyllan Gill on Monday, will play the Oceanic on Wednesday in a battle of 0-and-2 teams with a berth to the semifinals on the line. The Wildcats beat the Oceanic in six games in the best-of-seven QMJHL final.
Ritchie opened Monday’s scoring with a goal at 4:24 of the first period. He made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 9:42 of the second period. Gill cut the deficit in half with a goal 31 seconds into the final period.
Gavin McKenna added an empty-net goal with seven seconds left in the game. The Wildcats, trying to score the equalizer, pulled their goalie but called for too many on the ice with 1:22 left in the third.
The Tigers outshot the Wildcats 41-22, but had some difficulty beating Mathis Rousseau, who made 38 saves.
Harrison Meneghin had 21 saves for the Tigers.
London Knights (2-0) play the Medicine Hat Tigers (2-0) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
