A roundup of junior hockey results from the Okanagan and area.
The Kelowna Rockets are finally headed home, after a grueling Eastern Division road trip that saw them play five games in eight days, earning eight of a possible 10 points.
Their most recent win came Saturday night against the Saskatoon Blades, the Eastern Conference’s number-one ranked team.
The Blades took advantage of a tired Kelowna Rockets team in the first period, scoring on their first shot of the game. But just past the midway mark of the opening period, Kelowna’s Luke Schelter put the puck past Blades starting netminder Austin Elliot by batting it out of midair.
Exactly a minute later, playing in his hometown, Rockets defenceman Caden Price scored his fourth goal of the year to put the Rockets up by one. Tij Iginla would also tally a shorthanded goal to put the rockets up 3-1. But the Blades responded in the dying seconds of the first period to make it 3-2.
In the second period, Saskatoon’s Brandon Lisowsky beat Rockets netminder Jari Kykkanen’s glove side to tie the game with just over five minutes remaining. Then, in the third period with the Rockets on a powerplay and less than five minutes to play, the Blades scored the tiebreaker, putting Kelowna on their heels, but the visiting team just wouldn’t go away.
With their net empty and an extra skater on the ice, Marek Rocak received a nifty pass from Andrew Cristall in the right faceoff circle and fired home the game-tying goal with only 13 seconds remaining, and this game needed extra time.
In overtime, Rockets forward Gabriel Szturc’s initial shot from the slot was blocked, but he managed to regain possession and fired home the winning goal high-glove side on Elliot, and the Rockets escaped the Prairies with yet another impressive win.
The Rockets are now 15-15-2-0 on the season. They head into the holiday break in a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference with Tri-City. Kelowna’s next game is Dec. 27 in Kamloops.
Saturday’s results
- Moose Jaw 4, Brandon 3
- Medicine Hat 7, Lethbridge 2
- Spokane 3, Portland 1
- Red Deer 5, Regina 4
- Victoria 4, Tri-City 3
- Everett 7, Seattle 1
- Prince George 9, Vancouver 2
Sunday’s games
- Swift Current at Calgary
- Regina at Edmonton
- Seattle at Vancouver
- Everett at Wenatchee
After a slow start, the West Kelowna Warriors came back to defeat the Interior Division’s top team, the Penticton Vees.
The first period of Saturday’s tilt is one the Warriors are going to want to forget. They were heavily outshot 14-6, and found themselves down 3-0. Fatigue could have been a factor, as the team was playing its fifth game in eight nights. Several injuries to key players may have also contributed, but the team managed to turn the tides in a big way in the remaining 40 minutes of play.
In the middle frame, the Warriors got to work, scoring three goals in just over four minutes to tie the game, and they weren’t done yet. West Kelowna put up five unanswered goals in the second period to stun the visiting team, leading 5-3 heading into the third period and outshooting Penticton 14-5.
The final frame was much quieter compared to the first two periods, which saw a total of eight goals recorded, but the Warriors would add an empty-net goal, sinking the Vees by a final score of 6-3.
With the win, the Warriors have now won nine of their last 10 games and have earned points in all 10. The Warriors are now just three points behind the Vees, who sit atop of the Interior Division standings with 44 points.
After the holiday break, West Kelowna will hit the road for back-to-back meetings with Prince George on Dec. 29 and 30, while the Vees travel to Salmon Arm to face the Silverbacks on Dec. 30.
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks came into Cranbrook to face the Bucks on Saturday night and picked up a crucial two points before heading into the holiday break.
Just 1:48 into the opening frame, the Bucks got on the board first thanks to an even-strength goal from Julian Frias – his ninth tally of the season and the only goal in period one. Shots were 14-10 in favour of the home team heading into period two.
In the second, with the visitors pressing for the equalizer, Silverbacks forward JJ Monteiro delivered, scoring the game-tying goal with just under five minutes to play. Then in the third period, Monteiro doubled down, scoring his 11th goal of the season to give the Silverbacks their first lead of the game, which they managed to preserve for the rest of the night en route to a 2-1 victory.
With the win, the Silverbacks now have a five-point edge over the Vernon Vipers in the Interior Division and head into the holiday break in third place, just three points behind the second-placed West Kelowna Warriors. The Silverbacks get back into action against the Vipers in Vernon on Dec. 30, in what will be a thrilling match up between two clubs who are neck and neck in the standings.
Saturday’s results
- Chilliwack 3, Surrey 2 (OT)
- Prince George 3, Trail 0
- Victoria 5, Cowichan Valley 2
- Coquitlam 7, Alberni Valley 1
- Merritt 3, Nanaimo 2
- Langley 5, Prince Rupert 2
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