Kelowna at Victoria Oct 14/15

[CdnSailor]

ROYALS COME BACK TO DEFEAT ROCKETS

Four goal third period gives Victoria a 7-5 victory over Kelowna.

For Immediate Release

Friday, October 14, 2011

Victoria, BC – The Victoria Royals faced the Kelowna Rockets Friday night in the first game of back-to-back clashes at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre between the BC Division rivals. Keith Hamilton started in goal for the Royals while the Rockets countered with Adam Brown.

The Royals struck first at 5:32 when forward Robin Soudek shoveled home a rebound in front of the Rockets’ net for his sixth goal of the season. Austin Carroll and Kevin Sundher picked up assists. Kelowna would get a pair of goals midway through the period as Spencer Main scored on a Rockets’ power play at 9:43 and Colton Heffley scored at 12:02 to give Kelowna a 2-1 lead. Soudek got the Royals back on even terms when Sundher fired a back-hand shot from the slot that bounced to Soudek along the left wing goal line and beat Brown for his second of the night and seventh of the season to tie the game 2-2 at 14:55. Jesse Lees would notch another Rockets’ power play goal at 16:43 to make it 3-2 Kelowna, which is how the score remained through 20 minutes of play. The Royals were out-shot 16-11 in the first period.

The Rockets increased their lead when Colton Sissons rifled a shot from the slot to make it 4-2 Kelowna at 4:35 of the second period. Myles Bell scored the Rockets’ third power play marker of the game at 6:42 for a 5-2 Kelowna lead. The Royals had a quick response at 8:35 when Jamie Crooks got control of the puck in the Rockets’ zone and fed a pass to the right wing side where Zane Jones wired his first WHL goal past Brown to cut the Rockets’ lead to 5-3. Hamilton came up with his best save of the game with 8:30 to play in the middle frame when Shane McColgan raced in alone on the Royals’ goaltender. McColgan fired a shot to the glove side that Hamilton snared to keep the Royals within two goals. The score remained 5-3 Rockets after two periods and both teams recorded eight shots in the middle frame.

The Royals opened the third period strong and were rewarded with the second goal of the game from Jones who intercepted a clearing attempt by Brown and quickly shot the puck from the right wing boards to make it 5-4 Kelowna. The Royals continued to put the heat on and while on the power play with 8:43 left in the third period, Jamie Crooks banged home a loose puck in front of Brown to tie the game 5-5. Soudek and Kade Pilton drew assists on Crooks’ sixth goal of the season. The Royals killed off a Rockets’ power play shortly after and Lukas Kralik, who served the penalty, rewarded his mates as he jumped out of the penalty box onto a loose puck at the Rockets’ blue line and beat Brown on a back hand move to give Victoria a 6-5 lead. Steven Hodges earned the only assist on the goal. The Rockets almost tied the game less than a minute later, but Hamilton made a difficult right pad save on Carter Rigby in the goal mouth to preserve the lead. Logan Nelson put the game away with an empty net goal with 52 seconds to play in regulation for his seventh tally of the season. Royals 7 Rockets 5.

The Royals’ victory improves the club’s record to 5-5-0-0. The Royals out-shot the Rockets 15-3 in the third period and 34-27 in the game. The Royals went 1-for-7 on the power play=14.3%, while the Rockets were 3-for-6=50%.

[CdnSailor]

Highlights from A Channel News
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxjA33wNidk

Highlights from Chek TV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldHb-Y4Pz6M

[pontcanna]

If we had one home game each weekend (like a lot of clubs) I think it would be a sellout every night. Which sports cliche fits? Cardiac kids do it again? Best first shift of a game yet (we're normally pretty dire until the legs start moving). Hamilton very solid - his rebound control was excellent, still a lot of cringeworthy moments at the back and we're certainly more even in terms of shots on goal. I guess the test will be, can the same attitude be taken on the road, especially with the four game trip coming up. The return match against the Rockets in Kelowna next Saturday should be a good litmus test. I wonder which game will see Rathjen get his first start?

[pontcanna]

ROYALS FINISH OFF ROCKETS IN OT

Kevin Sundher records four points in Victoria’s 4-3 overtime victory against Kelowna.

For Immediate Release
Saturday, October 15, 2011

Victoria, BC – In a Saturday night matchup at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre the Victoria Royals took on the Kelowna Rockets in the second of a two game set. Victoria gave Keith Hamilton the start in net, while Kelowna went with Jordon Cooke.

The Royals’ notched the game’s first goal on their opening shift. Robin Soudek collected a loose puck in the slot area and shot past the glove of Cooke at 19 seconds for his eighth tally of the year. Midway through the first frame, Kelowna looked to answer with two opportunities in close, but Hamilton held his crease to make back-to-back left pad saves. Just past the 15 minute mark the Rockets would tie the game after Shane McColgan beat Hamilton to the glove side on a shorthanded breakaway. The marker was scored at 15:05 and was McColgan’s first of the season. Victoria held a 14-10 lead in shots after one period with the score tied 1-1.

The teams exchanged end-to-end chances for the first half of the period as both goaltenders were forced to make several quality stops. At the 16:33 mark the Royals’ retook the lead on Kevin Sundher’s fourth after he was sent in on a partial breakaway by Austin Carroll. Sundher then released a shot that beat Cooke through the legs for the 2-1 lead. Kelowna came right back at 17:44 after Tyson Baillie corralled a rebound in the slot and beat an outstretched Hamilton to tie the game. The game headed to the third period tied 2-2.

The opening minutes of the frame saw few whistles as the teams went back-and-forth looking for the go ahead marker. At 8:22 Kelowna took their first lead of the game when Cody Chikie beat Hamilton on a wrap around for his fifth of the year. Victoria would answer back on the power play at 10:02 when Hayden Rintoul snipped a shot from the high slot over the blocker of Cooke for his fifth of the year. Sundher and Jamie Crooks recorded assists on the play. The teams headed to overtime tied 3-3 after regulation.

The Royals finished the game 35 seconds into overtime after Sundher found Jesse Zgraggen alone at the top of the right circle. Zgraggen released the one-timer that beat Cooke for this first of the season.

Victoria went 1/8 = 12.5% on the power play, while Kelowna was 0/2 = 0.00%. The Royals outshot the Rockets 36-33.

The Royals now embark on a four game road trip which will see them make stops in Vancouver, Kelowna, Tri-City and Spokane.

[pontcanna]

Royals sweep Rockets in overtime

BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMES COLONIST OCTOBER 15, 2011 10:34 PM

Kevin Sundher showed Saturday night why he eventually may turn out to be the first Victoria Royals player to reach the NHL.

His four-point night, capped by a brilliant assist on Jesse Zgraggen’s winning goal in overtime at 35 seconds, gave the Royals a 4-3 Western Hockey League victory over the Kelowna Rockets before 6,049 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

“The guys are getting open for me,” said Sundher, a third-round Buffalo Sabres’ draft pick.

“And we have guys who can finish,” added the native of Surrey, who leads the WHL with 17 assists and is tied for the league scoring lead at 21 points with Mark Stone of Brandon and Emerson Etem of Medicine Hat.

Not high among the polished finishers is defensive-oriented blue-liner Zgraggen, who scored his first goal.

“We talked about it before that Jesse said he wanted to get his first goal of the season,” said Sundher.

“He’s such a hard working guy. He buried it. He made sure he hit the back of the net.”

Zgraggen said he had faith in Sundher’s passing eye.

“Kevin is such a good player and I trusted he would get it to me exactly where I needed it on the stick when I slid down the wall,” said Zgraggen, as the Royals (6-5) swept the two-game set against Kelowna.

The Rockets (3-4-1) are among the more successful WHL franchises and the single point snapped an uncharacteristic four-game losing streak.

It took just 19 seconds for Victoria’s top line of Sundher, Robin Soudek and Austin Carroll to make themselves heard as Soudek counted his eighth of the season to open the scoring.

But if the Royals scored early, they didn’t score often over the first two periods.

Shane McColgan, a 2011 fifth-round draft pick of the New York Rangers, pick scored shorthanded for Kelowna at 15:05 of first period to tie it 1-1.

A tepid second period was enlivened by Sundher’s slicing to the net for his fourth goal of the season at 16:33. But it didn’t take long for Kelowna’s Tyson Baillie to level matters 2-2 at 17:44.

That set the stage for the dramatics to come.

Cody Chikie snuck home a wrap-around at 8:22 of the third period to put Kelowna ahead by one. Captain and Royals rearguard Hayden Rintoul got that back on the power play at 10:02.

Zgraggen said he has thrived being paired with the veteran 20-year-old Rintoul.

“Being with Hayden gives me a little more room to make mistakes and slide up into the play when I can,” he said.

Like he did in overtime.

Both goaltenders did workman-like jobs with Keith Hamilton making 30 saves in goal for Victoria and Jordon Cooke 32 for Kelowna.

[CdnSailor]

4 3 (OT)

My Highlights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7-pQwVmDvk

1st Period

Royals 1st goal by Robin Soudek 00:12
Rockets 1st goal by Shane McColgan (SH) 00:44

2nd Period

Royals 2nd goal by Kevin Sundher 2:23
Rockets 2nd goal by Tyson Baillie 2:36
Rockets 3rd goal by Cody Chikie 3:01

3rd Period

Royals 3rd goal by Hayden Rintoul (PP) 3:13

Overtime

Royals 4th goal by Jesse Zgraggen 4:23

Attendance
6049

3 Stars

1. VIC - 9 Kevin Sundher
2. VIC - 6 Jesse Zgraggen
3. VIC - 25 Robin Soudek

Game Summary
http://www.whl.ca/schedule/show/game/59491

Good bye Rockets

[the Royal Flush]

nice bus.

[50sWHLer]

Yup ! But not so nice if you don't WIN !!!

Sign should read - " Kelowna Rockets Hockey FLUB " !!!!!

I saw the bus drive away with the HEAD LIGHTS OFF !!

The Bus, Driver, and Team SKULKED out off Town under cover of Darkness !

Looks GOOD on them

WAY TO GO ROYALS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pontcanna]

Comments on Rockets' webpage from their broadcaster:

-Just for clarification, the score clock in Victoria will be replaced with the one that used to be at Prospera Centre in Chilliwack. The current clock in Victoria has no video screen. It's replacement does.

-The arena in Victoria has everything a broadcaster would want. Great sight lines (no camera's limiting vision), Internet, PA feed and a bathroom - not one but two - which is just a stone throw away. Plus, the media room had sandwiches and pizza for those needing a pre-game meal. Victoria may now be the best stop on the circuit.