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View Full Version : Blazers sweep weekend series



Malc
10-30-2011, 01:01 PM
By Doyle Potenteau

Another game, another tough loss for the Kelowna Rockets.

Despite a game effort, Kelowna suffered its ninth loss of the season, falling 4-3 to the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Saturday. The setback was also the Rockets’ second in as many nights to the Blazers, having lost 5-2 in Kamloops on Friday night to start a home-and-home series.

Yet, unlike that 5-2 loss, a game which saw Kamloops take a 4-1 lead heading into the third period, there were plenty of positives in this contest. Such as Kelowna opening the scoring against the B.C. Division leaders midway through the first. Then making it 2-0 early in the second.

And this, despite a roster with six players on the injured list. However, Kelowna’s shortened bench proved its undoing — again, and understandably — as Kamloops roared back with four straight goals.

Rockets blue-liner Damon Severson closed out the scoring with 25 seconds left.

“I saw us not quit, which was good,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska. “But we’re not going to use (injuries) as an excuse. We have to continue to push and fight to improve. If we keep working and not backing off from what we’re asking the players to do, things will change for us, and that’s what we have to believe in.”

Madison Bowey, with his second goal of the season, at 8:39 of the first period, and Shane McColgan also scored for the Rockets (5-9-1-0), who were outshot 35-23. Goalie Adam Brown made 31 saves for Kelowna, which is 2-7-1-0 in its past 10 games.

Ryan Hanes, Dylan Willick, with back-to-back goals in the second and third periods, and Brendan Ranford, with the game winner at 18:26 of the third, scored for Kamloops (11-3-0-0). Cam Lanigan made 20 saves for the Blazers, who have the league’s best winning percentage at .786 and have won all three meetings this season with Kelowna.

Up next for the Rockets is a home twinbill against Portland.

ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were D Jesse Lees (undisclosed upper-body), D Kevin Smith (shoulder), LW Carter Rigby (concussion), C Spencer Main (flu), LW Brett Bulmer (NHL), LW Jessey Astles (concussion) and D Myles Bell (undisclosed lower-body)... Colton Sissons was unofficially named the Rockets’ captain, though official word is expected sometime this week.

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