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The Kelowna Rockets picked up a point in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Victoria Royals on Saturday night at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena in Victoria B.C.
The Royals special teams carried their team throughout the night, netting a shorthanded goal and a pair of power-play tallies for force the game to go to extra time on the island.
The Rockets took an early lead just 1:14 into the game on a goal from Kyle Topping (10). Tarun Fizer (17) took off on a shorthanded breakaway to even up the game just before the midway point of the period. Trevor Wong (5) pushed the Rockets ahead with four seconds left in the first, driving to the net he connected on Pavel Novak's centering feed.
Sixteen-year-old defenceman Elias Carmichael (1) put the Rockets up 3-1 with his first WHL goal. Brayden Tracey (19) made it a one-goal game late in the second with a power-play goal.
Tracey (20) tied up the game 19 seconds into the third with his second power-play goal of the game. Dillon Hamaliuk appeared to give the Rockets the lead again with 3:57 to play in the third, but it was waved off due to goaltender interference.
In overtime, Kyle Topping had everyone beat as he worked his way around the defence but nailed the post.
The Rocket shot first in the shootout. Conner McDonald (goal), Matthew Wedman (X) and Kyle Topping (X) fired for the Rockets
Kaid Oliver (goal), Gary Haden (goal) were both successful for the Royals.
Victoria outshot Kelowna 37-36.
The Rockets went 0-for-5 on the power play, while the Royals were 1-for-2 with the man advantage.
Nolan Foote (lower-body), Liam Kindree (upper-body), Steel Quiring, Michael Farren (upper-body), Jarod Newell and Sean Comrie (upper-body) were the Rockets scratches. Defenceman Tyson Feist made his return to the lineup from an upper-body injury that had held him out for the last two games.
The Rockets will now make their way to Prince George for a pair of weekday games up north. The Rockets will battle the Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
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