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scamperdog
10-04-2006, 07:33 AM
Rockets finally clear tower
By Doyle Potenteau
Wednesday, October 4, 2006, 12:01 AM

www.kelownadailycourier.ca
KAMLOOPS — There was no mistaking which team won Tuesday night. The shouts hailing from the Kelowna Rockets’ dressing room were in stark contrast to the silence inside Interior Savings Centre.
Myles MacRae scored in overtime, his game-winning goal coming with just 28.9 seconds remaining, as Kelowna snapped its 0-for-4 winless start by scoring a 5-4 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. Tonight, the Rockets will be searching for their second win, as they play host to the Swift Current Broncos, 7 p.m. at Prospera Place.
“It feels good to get our first win,” said MacRae, who ended the game by cutting in the from left wall, driving past a defencemen, then sliding his first of the season past goaltender Dalyn Flette. “(Going) 0-4 and finally getting our first win of the year for the rookies and veterans, it felt great.
“Everyone knows (Kamloops) is our rival, and and it feels great to take a win in here.”
Chris Ray, who opened Tuesday’s scoring late in the first period, Kaspars Saulietis, Colin Joe and Craig Cuthbert also scored for Kelowna (1-4-0-0), which was outshot 38-19. C.J. Stretch, Ray Macias, Brock Nixon and Brady Mason replied for the Blazers (1-2-1-1), who led 2-1 after two periods. Kelowna goaltender Kris Westblom stopped 34 shots, while Flette, making his second WHL start, made 14 saves for Kamloops.
Of the game’s nine goals, five came in the third period. Kelowna also matched its season output with its five-goal effort against Kamloops.
“When you go through a couple of
periods where it’s tight, then everything’s going in, it’s like a fire sale,” said Rockets coach Jeff Truitt. “Things happen, but I’m happy for the guys.
“We gave up a 1-0 lead, then it’s 2-1 (Kamloops), then it’s trading back and forth. We came back and tightened down the last four minutes, and Westy did a good job of keeping us in there. It wasn’t pretty, but we got it done.”
For Saulietis, Tuesday’s contest wasn’t his first taste of Kamloops. Rather, the six-foot-one winger played here for Latvia during the 2006 world junior hockey championship. At that tournament, the 19-year-old forward recorded no goals and three assists.
“It’s a great feeling to come back here and score. And to win,” said Saulietis, a friend of former Rocket and fellow Latvian Lauris Darzins. “There is a lot of memories from playing here . . . and my buddy Lauris told me about the rivalry and the big fights. We win and it’s great.”
ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were D Matt MacDermott, C Cody Almond, C/LW Brandon McMillan and C Dylan Hood. Kamloops’ scratches were D Kevin Kraus, D Garrett Thiessen, C Brenden Dowd, LW Matt Schmermund, D Joel Woznikoski and G Dustin Butler. . . . Kelowna went 0-for-4 on the power play. Kamloops was 1-11. . . . The three stars were Macias, Ray and Blazer Travis Dunstall. . . . Earlier Tuesday, the Blazers acquired Butler from Portland for G Kurt Kramer, 17, and a fifth-round bantam pick in 2007. . . . The prettiest goal of the night belonged to Cuthbert, who, while driving to the net, batted in a waist-high centering pass from MacRae on the left wall. . . . In pre-season play, MacRae scored six goals; five against Chilliwack, one against Vancouver. . . . All five of Kelowna’s goal scorers on Tuesday recorded their first goals of the season.

IamBatman
10-04-2006, 11:10 AM
Well I guess when the season ends and the only losses we have are the 4 at the beginning, we can say it was a pretty good season.

Here is to the start of a 68 game winning streak! :D

GO ROCKETS.