After almost an entire week off, the Kelowna Rockets trekked to Vancouver Island to take on the Victoria Royals.
Tuesday night’s game was the first meeting of the season between the two teams, and the first of back-to-back matches between the two B.C. Division rivals.
The Royals were fresh off a win on Saturday night, having snapped the Blazers’ six-game winning streak, edging Kamloops 2-1.
The Rockets were looking to build on their 4-2 victory over the Cougars last Wednesday at the CN Centre in Prince George.
But it wasn’t to be, as Kelowna (7-4-1-1) gave up a two-goal lead in the third period, eventually losing in a shootout to Victoria (6-5-1-0).
One bright spot for the Rockets was rookie Ethan Ernst, who had a goal and an assist.
Captain Nolan Foote was held off the scoreboard.
Victoria’s Gary Haden opened the scoring midway through the first when he fired one past Roman Basran on a breakaway. The goal, scored at 12:27, was his second of the season.
Four minutes later, though, Pavel Novak replied for the Rockets, deftly tipping a shot past Royals goalie Brock Gould.
Early in the second, at 3:19, Sean Comrie scored for Kelowna with a big blast from the point to make it 2-1.
Then, four minutes after that, Ernst scored to make it 3-1, electing shoot on an odd-man rush and picking the corner on Gould.
In the final frame, though, the Royals scored twice, Will Warm at 1:56, then Kaid Oliver at 3:10 to level the score at 3-3.
Overtime was scoreless, and the two sides headed for the shootout, where the Royals emerged victorious.
Kyle Topping, Foote and Leif Mattson were all denied for Kelowna. For Victoria, Haden missed while Oliver, with the roof-shot game winner, didn’t.
Basran stopped 25 shots for Kelowna, which was outshot 28-24.
The Rockets were 0-for-3 on the power play while the Royals were 0-for-1.
The two teams are back at Wednesday night at the Save-On Foods Memorial Arena in Victoria.
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