A roundup of junior hockey results from the Okanagan and area.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Gabriel Szturc scored the game-winning goal, and the only goal in the shootout, as the Rockets rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits to defeat the Vancouver Giants on Friday night.
Adam Kydd, Max Graham and Andrew Cristall, who levelled the score at 3-3 late in the third period, scored regulation-time goals for Kelowna (24-34-3-0), which snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Rockets trailed 2-0 early, giving up goals at 7:02 and 8:27 of the first, and were down 3-1 heading into the third. But Graham scored at 4:40 to make it 3-2, with Cristall levelling the game at 18:31 during six-on-five play.
After a scoreless overtime session, Szturc was the only player for either team to score, going five-hole with a backhand deke.
“The chances that we were able to generate throughout the whole game and not be rewarded for it were a little frustrating, to say the least,” said Rockets head coach Kris Mallette.
“Two of their goals went in off of bad bounces on our group. But credit to the guys in our room, they stayed positive and were energetic on the bench, and then to score late was awesome.”
Jaden Lipinski, Mazden Lesli and Ty Thorpe scored for Vancouver (24-28-5-3), which was outshot 37-26, including 17-4 in the third period.
Cristall’s game-tying goal was his team-leading 35th marker of the season. He also leads the Rockets in scoring, with 80 points, 13 more than Szturc (19 goals, 48 assists).
In goal, Jari Kykkanen stopped 23 shots for the Rockets, with Jesper Vikman turning aside 34 shots for Vancouver.
On the power play, both teams went 1-for-3.
In Western Conference standings, the eighth-place Rockets have all but locked up the last playoff spot. With 51 points, they are 14 points clear of the ninth-place Victoria Royals (15-40-6-1, 37 points) and 16 points in front of the 10th-and-last-place Spokane Chiefs (14-39-3-4, 35 points).
Kelowna has seven games remaining on its regular-season schedule. Victoria has six, meaning the Royals can only earn a maximum of 49 points. Spokane has eight games left and could reach 51 points, but would have to win every game while hoping Kelowna loses all of its games.
However, should that impossibility happen and Kelowna and Spokane finished tied at 51 points, a sudden-death game would happen to determine who gets the last playoff spot.
The Rockets are in Spokane for Saturday night, then will close out three games in three days by visiting Tri-City (28-26-5-2, 63 points) on Sunday afternoon.
Friday’s results
- Kamloops 6, Everett 3
- Lethbridge 5, Regina 4 (OT)
- Saskatoon 6, Prince Albert 2
- Calgary 4, Red Deer 3 (OT)
- Seattle 6, Tri-City 3
- Portland 5, Spokane 2
- Moose Jaw 4, Swift Current 3
- Prince George 8, Victoria 3
- Winnipeg 5, Edmonton 4 (OT)
Saturday’s games (all times PT)
- Red Deer at Calgary, 1 p.m.
- Edmonton at Brandon, 5 p.m.
- Swift Current at Moose Jaw (ppd.)
- Regina at Medicine Hat, 6 p.m.
- Everett at Seattle, 6:05 p.m.
- Portland at Tri-City, 6:05 p.m.
- Prince George at Victoria, 6:05 p.m.
- Vancouver at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
- Kelowna at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday’s games (all times PT)
- Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 3 p.m.
- Brandon at Winnipeg, 3:05 p.m.
- Prince George at Vancouver, 4 p.m.
- Spokane at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
- Kelowna at Tri-City, 4:05 p.m.
B.C. HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Penticton, the league-leading Vees rolled to an easy home win over the Rivermen on Friday night.
Bradly Nadeau and Brett Moravec, with two goals each, Dovar Tinling, Joshua Niedermayer, Aydar Suniev, Thomas Pichette and Josh Nadeau scored for Penticton (44-3-0-1-0), which 2-0 and 3-1 at the period breaks before scoring six unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes.
Bradly Nadeau finished the game with five points, along with three assists. He leads the BCHL scoring race with 99 points (39 goals, 60 assists). His brother, Josh Nadeau, is second with 95 points (37-58) while teammate Aydar Suniev is third with 80 points (38-42). Ean Somoza of Wenatchee is fourth with 67 points (19-48).
Replying for Langley (13-30-2-3-0) were Owen Kim at Andrej Kovacevic, who scored back-to-back goals at 5:54 and 8:17 of the second. Their goals came just minutes after Penticton went ahead 3-0, when Niedermayer scored just 34 seconds into the frame.
Luca Di Pasquo stopped 20 of 22 shots for the Vees. At the other end, Taje Gill had a far busier evening, turning aside 47 of 56 shots.
Penticton was 3-for-4 on the power play while Langley was 1-for-6.
On Saturday night, the Vees will host Merritt (12-32-3-2-0) in what could be a lopsided affair.
On March 3, Penticton pasted Merritt 13-1, as the Vees outshot the Centennials 60-16.
On Friday night, Merritt lost 13-0 to Wenatchee, with the Wild scoring more goals than the Centennials had shots on net. Merritt was outshot 48-12.
At Vernon, Ethan David stopped 21 of 23 shots as the Vipers down the Silverbacks on Friday night.
Reagan Milburn, Lee Parks and Julian Facchinelli, each with a goal and an assist, plus Luke Pakulak and Walker Erickson scored for Vernon (23-20-2-4-0), which led 2-1 and 3-1 at the period breaks.
Ryan Gillespie and Isaac Lambert replied for Salmon Arm (25-17-4-2-0). Matthew Tovell stopped 22 of 26 shots for the Silverbacks.
Vernon was 1-for-2 on the power play while Salmon Arm was 0-for-3.
PRINCE GEORGE 7, WEST KELOWNA 4
At West Kelowna, John Herrington tallied a hat trick as the Spruce Kings downed the Warriors on Friday night.
Linden Makow, with two goals, Hunter Price and Colton Cameron also scored for Prince George (25-19-4-2-0), which led 3-1 and 6-4 at the period breaks.
Rylee Hlusiak, with two goals, Brennan Nelson and Jake Bernadet replied for West Kelowna (26-18-5-0-0).
Aidan Feddema stopped 33 of 37 shots for the Spruce Kings. For the Warriors, Cayden Hamming started, and turned aside 21 of 27 shots, but was pulled when Prince George made it 6-3. Angelo Zol stopped 5 of 6 shots in relief.
Both teams were 2-for-5 on the power play.
Friday’s results
- Cranbrook 6, Surrey 0
- Wenatchee 13, Merritt 0
- Powell River 6, Nanaimo 4
- Trail 5, Coquitlam 2
- Victoria 3, Alberni Valley 1
Saturday’s games (all times PT)
- Merritt at Penticton, 6 p.m.
- Wenatchee at Salmon Arm, 6 p.m.
- Prince George at Vernon, 6 p.m.
- Langley at Cranbrook, 6 p.m.
- Chilliwack at Cowichan Valley, 7 p.m.
- Surrey at Trail, 7 p.m.
- Nanaimo at Victoria, 7 p.m.
- Coquitlam at West Kelowna, 7 p.m.
- Powell River at Alberni Valley, 7 p.m.
Sunday’s game (all times PT)
- Chilliwack at Nanaimo, 2 p.m.
KOOTENAY INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
PLAYOFFS: SECOND ROUND
Friday’s results
- Kimberley 4, Fernie 2
- Fernie leads series 3-2
- Beaver Valley 4, Creston Valley 0
- Creston Valley leads series 3-2
- Princeton 4, North Okanagan 1
- Princeton wins series 4-1
Saturday’s games (all times PT)
- Kimberley at Fernie, 6:30 p.m.
- Beaver Valley at Creston Valley, 6:30 p.m.