A roundup of junior hockey results from the Okanagan and area.
The Kelowna Rockets erased a two-goal deficit against the Victoria Royals on Saturday night, but a late goal against proved to be costly.
It was a back-and-forth first period, but with just under a minute to play in the opening frame, Victoria’s Reggie Newman scored his 16th goal of the season by standing in front of the net and deflecting the puck past Rockets netminder Jari Kykkanen.
Then, just nine seconds into period two, Newman buried his second goal of the game, after the puck took a strange bounce off the boards behind the Rockets net to Tanner Scott, who dished to puck to Newman, who he made no mistake.
Tij Iginla got the Rockets on the board with his 37th goal of the season, cutting Victoria’s lead in half at 3:21 of the third period. Just under five minutes later, Rockets captain Gabriel Szturc scored the game-tying goal after he unleashed a wicked wrist shot from the slot, beating netminder Braden Holt cleanly.
With Kelowna on a power play late in the game, they had a golden opportunity to take their first lead and possibly close out this game with a win on the road. But the Royals had other ideas. Caden Price mishandled the puck near the left neutral zone face off dot. Victoria’s Cole Reschny took advantage, firing a shot past Kykkanen’s blocker side with 2:33 left in regulation. That goal would be just enough to lift the Royals over the Rockets.
Kykkanen stopped 17 of 20 shots, while the Rockets power play went one-for-seven. The Royals had the upper hand in shots, outshooting Kelowna 37-20.
The Rockets return home for their Family Day game on Monday when they host Tri-City at 4 p.m.
Saturday’s results
- Prince Albert 4, Lethbridge 3
- Calgary 5, Moose Jaw 3
- Swift Current 6, Regina 2
- Edmonton 3, Red Deer 1
- Kamloops 2, Prince George 1
- Saskatoon 4, Medicine Hat 3
- Portland 8, Vancouver 3
- Spokane 6, Tri-City 4
Sunday’s game
- Portland at Everett
Monday’s games
- Saskatoon at Brandon
- Medicine Hat at Edmonton
- Victoria at Kamloops
- Tri-City at Kelowna
- Seattle at Prince George
- Lethbridge at Red Deer
- Calgary at Regina
- Moose Jaw at Swift Current
- Spokane at Vancouver
For the first time this season, the West Kelowna Warriors were unable to find the back of the net, after being shutout by the Penticton Vees Saturday night.
Penticton opened the scoring with a power play goal from Callum Arnott, his 23rd tally of the season, and the home team never looked back. Thomas Pichette, Ryan MacPherson and Cade Littler also scored for the Vees, who are now tied for first place in the BCHL league standings with the Surrey Eagles at 64 points each.
The Vees were a perfect 2-for-2 on the power play, while outshooting the Warriors 23-21. Will Ingemann stopped all 21 shots he faced and picked up his fifth shutout of the season, while Rorke Applebee set aside 19 of 23 shots thrown his way.
Penticton will head to Salmon Arm to play the Silverbacks on Monday afternoon, while West Kelowna hosts Langley, also on Monday afternoon.
The Vernon Vipers edged the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Saturday night in what turned out to be a thrilling affair.
The Vipers got out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but the visiting Silverbacks stunned the crowd at Kal Tire Place, scoring two goals just 10 seconds apart in the dying minutes of the first period.
In the middle frame, each team added a pair of goals, including a goal from the Silverbacks that came with one second left on the clock – a goal that could have easily shifted the momentum heading into the final frame.
But neither team found the back of the net until Vernon’s Julian Facchinelli scored with 44 seconds remaining in regulation. And that goal would be just enough to secure a victory. The Vipers outshot the Silverbacks 40-31, while both teams went 1-for-2 with the man advantage. Both teams get back in action on Monday afternoon. Vernon hosts Cranbrook, and Salmon Arm hosts Penticton.
Saturday’s results
- Chilliwack 5, Powell River 2
- Cowichan Valley 4, Prince George 3
- Victoria 4, Nanaimo 1
- Sherwood Park 7, Spruce Grove 6 (OT)
- Langley 4, Alberni Valley 2
- Merritt 4, Trail 3
Sunday’s game
- Cowichan Valley at Surrey
Monday’s games
- Powell River at Coquitlam
- Prince George at Alberni Valley
- Cowichan Valley at Chilliwack
- Penticton at Salmon Arm
- Cranbrook at Vernon
- Langley at West Kelowna
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