Junior hockey: Rockets fall to Chiefs, Silverbacks stymie Vipers

Here’s a roundup of junior hockey results from the Okanagan and area.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE

Spokane 2, Kelowna 1

One week after winning four games in a row, the Kelowna Rockets are now riding a three-game losing streak.

At Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on Wednesday night, the hometown Chiefs tripped up the visiting Rockets 2-1.

The loss was Kelowna’s third consecutive setback, having dropped back-to-back games in Portland on Friday and Saturday — 6-5 in a shootout on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday.

Scoring for Spokane (4-9-2-0) were Bear Hughes and Cordel Larson. Hughes, from Post Falls, Idaho, was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL draft, 148th overall by Washington.

Hughes opened the scoring at 7:16 of the first, with Larson making it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 6:25. Hughes earned an assist on that goal.

The Chiefs’ roster also includes Kelowna product Jack Finley, a six-foot-six centre who was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft, 57th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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Pavel Novak, at 19:01 of the second period to make it 2-1, replied for Kelowna (8-5-0-2), which was outshot 26-24.

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Mason Beaupit made 23 saves for the Chiefs, who earned their first home-ice victory, while Talyn Boyko stopped 24 shots for the Rockets.

Kelowna was 0-for-5 on the power play while Spokane was 1-for-4.

On their three-game trip south of the border, the Rockets went 1-for-15 on the power play, including 0-for-11 in their last two games.

The two teams meet again on Friday night, albeit in Kelowna at Prospera Place. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

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B.C. HOCKEY LEAGUE

Salmon Arm 5, Vernon 2

At Salmon Arm, the host Silverbacks rolled past the Vipers on Wednesday night.

Simon Tassy, Brandon Santa Juana, Nathan Mackie, Nathan Morin and Noah Serdachny scored for Salmon Arm (12-3-1-0-0), which led 1-0 and 4-2 at the period breaks.

Tyler Chan and Matthew Culling, with back-to-back goals in the second to make it 4-2, replied for Vernon (4-7-3-2-0).

Liam Vanderkooi stopped 35 of 37 shots for the Silverbacks. For the Vipers, Roan Clark stopped 27 of 31 shots, with Ethan David stopping one of two shots early in the second.

Salmon Arm was 1-for-2 on the power play while Vernon was 0-for-5.

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