Junior hockey: Rockets start preseason with loss to Blazers – Okanagan | Globalnews.ca
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A round-up of junior hockey results from teams in the Okanagan and area.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
The Kelowna Rockets started their 2023 preseason schedule with a 4-2 loss in Kamloops on Friday night.
Shea Van Olm, with two goals, Hudson Closson and Ashton Tait scored for Kamloops (1-0-0), which led 2-0 after the first period, then scored twice late in the third after Kelowna tied the game.
Tait made it 3-2 at 16:40, with Van Olm closing out the scoring into an empty net at 19:55.
Ethan Mittelsteadt, at 5:59 of the second, and Landon Cowper, at 10:02 of the third, replied for Kelowna (0-1-0), which was outshot at 39-21.
Two 15-year-olds, Owen Folstrom and Kanjyu Gojsic, plus 16-year-old defencemen Lachlan Staniforth and Jackson Gillespie were part of the Rockets’ roster on Friday night.
Jari Kykkanen stopped 35 shots for the Rockets. For the Blazers, starter Dylan Ernst turned aside 12 of 13 shots, with Logan Edmonstone stopping seven of eight shots in relief.
Kamloops was 1-for-3 on the power play while Kelowna was 0-for-3.
The attendance was 1,007, with the two teams meeting in Kelowna on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.
B.C. HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Penticton, the Vees opened their preseason schedule by rallying to defeat the Smoke Eaters on Friday night.
James Fisher, with two goals, Francesco Dell’Elce, Parker Murray and Attila Lippai scored for the Vees (1-0-0-0), who led 2-0 but gave up three consecutive goals in a seven-minute span in the second period.
Less than a minute after Trail made it 3-2 at 10:56, Fisher netted his second marker of the night at 11:43 to make it 3-3. In the third, Murray, at 3:22, and Lippai, on a breakaway, at 15:12 rounded out the scoring.
Adam Parsons, Michael Risteau and Ethan Warrener replied for Trail (0-2-1-0).
Will Ingemann stopped 19 of 22 shots for the Vees, with Teagan Kendrick turning aside 30 of 35 shots for the Smoke Eaters.
Penticton was 1-for-3 on the power play while Trail was 1-for-5. The attendance was 2,335.
At Salmon Arm, Jordin Palmer had the game’s only goal as the Vipers blanked the Silverbacks on Friday night.
Palmer’s marker came halfway through the game, at 9:05 on the power play as Vernon improved to 2-0-0-0 in preseason action.
Colin Reay, who went 13-for-13 between the pipes, and Dylan Adams, 12-for-12, shared the shutout for the Vipers.
Ryan Grout stopped 21 of 22 shots for Salmon Arm (0-1-0-0).
Vernon was 1-for-4 on the power play while Salmon Arm was 0-for-1. The attendance was 550.
At Merritt, the Warriors also opened their preseason schedule with a win as they doubled up the Centennials on Friday night.
Jackson Kyrkostas, with two goals, Jack Farrell, Mikka Kelechian, Noah Weir and Trent Wilson scored for West Kelowna (1-0-0-0), which led 2-1 and 4-3 at the period breaks.
Damon Jugnauth, Jace Koenigsmark and Timothy Kim replied for Merritt (0-1-0-0).
Angelo Zol stopped 35 of 38 shots for the Warriors. For the Centennials, Beau Lane stopped 6 of 9 shots during the first 30 minutes, with Stefan Carney going 13 of 16 in relief.
West Kelowna was 1-for-3 on the power play while Merritt was 0-for-5. The attendance was 149.
Saturday’s games will see Salmon Arm visit Vernon, Penticton in Chilliwack and West Kelowna in Merritt again.
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