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In a midget 2A hockey tournament that featured evenly matched teams, the host Kelowna Rockets epitomized the parity.
Photo Gallery (95 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
Although finishing in seventh place among the 11 contenders in the Kelowna Minor Hockey Association event at the Rutland Arena — with a 1-2-1 record — the Rockets were just a minus-one in goals, while their two losses were by one- and two-goal deficits. Their tie came against the Quesnel Thunder, who went on to play Penticton in the championship game and dropped a tight 3-2 decision.
The Rockets opened the three-day tournament by scoring two unanswered goals in the third period to defeat the Chilliwack Bruins 5-3. Kayle Trottier’s second goal of the game in the final frame stood up- as the winner while Tyden McWillis, Josiah Brears and Damon White added a goal apiece.
A penalty-filled third period cost the Rockets a second straight win as they gave up four goals to the Surrey Thunder in the final 20 minutes to fall 5-3. Goals by Brears and Klarc Rieger staked the KMHA reps to a 2-0 lead in the first period while Brears’ second of the game put his team up 3-1 going into the fateful third.
The Rockets, thanks to a three-goal second period, held a 4-3 lead going into the third against Quesnel, but allowed the tying marker with 9:44 remaining in the game to settle for the deadlock. Jessie Keller, Cole McLeod, White and Brears shared the scoring for the hosts.
In their final encounter, the Rockets gave up two unanswered first-period goals to Saanich and couldn’t catch up despite coming on strong in the third period and scoring the only goal of the frame. McWillis and White were the Kelowna scorers.
The Rockets will resume regular-season play in the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association, with hopes to representing OMAHA at the BC Hockey provincial championship tournament in Vernon March 16-20.
Photo Gallery (95 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
Photo Gallery (95 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
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