Rockets Rock Showcase
MBL OKR
September 27st-29nd, 2019
Richmond, BC
Hosted by BC Hockey at the Richmond Ice Centre the OKR Major Bantam Team faced four teams for the first time to kick off the regular season at the Major Bantam Showcase. The Rockets completed the event with four well contested wins that displayed, for the first time, the competitiveness of this new Major Bantam Division.
Game 1 vs Valley West Giants
September 27th @4:45pm
The Rockets first game was against the Valley West Giants and quickly showed games at this event would beface paced and highly skilled. The Rockets scored first as Connor Seeley feed Brayden Skogstad sitting unchecked in front of the net. Seeley (1G, 2A) added a goal of his own in the period, a few minutes later and the Giants scored later in the period to bring the game to 2-1 before going into the 1st intermission.
The second period was all Rockets hockey as theyscored 4 unanswered goals from Lian Gayfer (1G), Dante Nunes (1G), and Nathan Gossoo (2G) who managed to score his pair of goals just 17 seconds apart. This was enough to fend off the Giants for a 6-2 win.
Game 2 vs North West Hawks
September 28th @ 8:30am
Rockets started this game off with the first tally of the match coming again from Brayden Skogstad (1G,1A). Hawks didn’t backing off the pressure answered back with goals of their own after the Rockets first, and second goals, tying it 2-2 halfway through the second period. The Rockets started to pick their pace up through the second taking the lead 3-2 with a go-ahead goal from Lian Gayfer(1G). Not long after taking the lead the Rockets found themselves on the penalty kill. The Rockets rose to the occasion by not only stopping the attacking Hawks, but also getting a short-handed goal off the stick ofDefenseman Dante Nunes (1G,1A).
The Rockets took their second win of the weekend by a score of 5-3 knocking off the Hawks efforts to come back.
Game 3 vs Greater Vancouver Canadiens
September 28th 2019 @ 4:30pm
Rockets found the back of the net first yet again in three straight games curtesy of Nathan Gossoo(1G). That early goal didn’t stop the Canadiens from keeling over as they pushed back with 2 goals and lead in the game for over a period and half by a 2-1 margin. The Rockets found themselves in the box throughout the game but dealt with this adversity with a strong penalty that pressured down the ice and locked down the defensive zone. Brayden Skogstad (1G) scored late in period to tie the game up before the 2nd intermission.
The 3rd period proved to be the most exciting as both teams had to rely heavily on their special teams. At 5:33 in the period and on the power play, Bryson Carlyle (1G),after receiving a pass from his partner on the blueline,snapped a bullet of a shot passed a screened Canadian’s Goalie (1A) that sent the goalies water bottle high into the air and gave the Rockets a 3-2 lead.
The Rockets had to hunker down on the PK to hold on to a one goal lead throughout the final minutes of play. With the quickness of netminder Angelo Zol making numerous saves along with a committed group of killers that blocking several shot and broke up two passes to attacking players on the backdoor the Rockets prevailed.
Game 4 vs North East Chiefs
September 29th 2019 @ 8:30am
The Chiefs started this game breaking the Rockets 1st goal of the game streak with a goal just 2 minutes into the match. That did not stop the Rockets from collecting 3 goals two of which from Caleb DeHoog (2G), and then Kaslo Ferner who scored his first goal as a Bantam at 5:44 and had the Rocket up by 2 goals leading into the 1stintermission.
The Chiefs scored another goal to start off the second period to make it 3-2 but Brayden Skogstad (1G) scored the next goal after a puck race for a bouncing puckoutside the defensive zone’s blueline and the Rockets were back on top by 2. The Rockets took full control of the game throughout the 3rd gathering insurance markers from Ben Strobel (1G) and Kaslo Ferner who scored his 2nd of game to take the end weekend with 6-2 win and a 4-0 record.
The Rockets continue the regular season this weekend with two home games against the visiting Cariboo Cougars this Friday at 4:30pm in Pentiction at the OHTS and Saturday at 5:45pm back at the Capital News Centre.