With only a handful of games left in the regular season, the Rockets will finish in fourth place in the Eddie Mountain Division but have yet to have their post-season rivals finalized.  Until such time, each and every game in February will serve as a good tune-up for the playoffs, as the Goldenites will be looking to head into the 'second season' in high gear.

      Sunday afternoon's matchup against Kimberley opened up with a fast-paced first period, in which the Rockets skated stride-for-stride with the Nitros.  In fact, at the horn, the locals were full value for their 2-1 lead.  It took the Rockets just 1:30 to hit for their first marker, on a textbook tic-tac-toe passing play from Kyle Garcia to Darren Andre to Keith Wake and, despite the Field veteran being stopped on his quick shot, Kyle was streaming in from his left wing position, to bang home the rebound.   At 5:41, Kimberley's Richard Hubscher (who is in a battle for the league scoring title) made no mistake from the top of the slot, to deadlock the contest.  Before the period ended, the Rockets hit on the powerplay, when Dallas Flockhart won a clean draw at the faceoff circle, and Jacob Bergeron's patented snapshot hit the back of the twine.

     In the middle period, a pair of Kimberley powerplay goals (both by lanky Rylan Duley) moved the visitors into a 3-2 lead after forty minutes.  Rockets were badly outshot in the period, but the heroics of Cole Henson in the Golden cage kept the local stars in the game.

     In the final period, Henson was again tested time and again from point blank range, and was sensational, coming up with highlight reel saves.  Kimberley did manage to get one past Cole (Connor Kutzner) at the 14:54 mark, to salt away a 4-2 win.

     Final home game for the Rockets is slated for February 19th (Sunday afternoon) against the Creston Valley Thundercats at the Golden Rec Centre.  The Rockets remaining games are all on the road.

     After falling short last night in Fernie (losing 2-1 in overtime), the Rockets were looking to avenge that defeat in front of their hometown crowd Saturday night.  But, when the smoke had cleared, it was the visitors who claimed the two points, and victory.

     This was a very well played game right from the opening faceoff.  Reviewing the boxscores, we see that the Ghostriders were able to hit for a goal in each period, enroute to their 3-0 shutout win.  The the play was close-checking for the entire sixty minutes, with the difference being that Fernie was able to capitalize on their opportunities.

     The lone goal of the first period came off a point shot from Ty Morton, a goal which resulted from the Rockets getting too deep into their own end.  A pass out of the corner found Morton all alone just over the blueline, and his hard blast just trickled by Jarrod Schamerhorn in the Golden cage.

     In the second period, Fernie dominated territorial-wise, outshooting the locals 17-4, with Schamerhorn making some outstanding saves.  Rockets penalty-killing units were tested several times, and did a great job keeping the strong Fernie powerplay off the scoresheet.  The only tally of the period came when R.T.Rice got behind the Rocket defense on a long stretch pass, and fired the puck off the post.

     In the third, Rockets ran into a little more penalty trouble early, but this time couldn't stem the Fernie offense, as the visitors Connor McLaughlin hit at the 3:10 mark.  The Rockets tried time and again to generate sustained offense in the Ghostrider end, but the Fernie defense was solid on this night.  Final score was 3-0 Fernie.

     Rockets are back on the ice Sunday afternoon, for another inter-divisional contest, this time against the visiting Kimberley Dynamiters.

 

     After falling short last night in Fernie (losing 2-1 in overtime), the Rockets were looking to avenge that defeat in front of their hometown crowd Saturday night.  But, when the smoke had cleared, it was the visitors who claimed the two points, and victory.

     This was a very well played game right from the opening faceoff.  Reviewing the boxscores, we see that the Ghostriders were able to hit for a goal in each period, enroute to their 3-0 shutout win.  The the play was close-checking for the entire sixty minutes, with the difference being that Fernie was able to capitalize on their opportunities.

     The lone goal of the first period came off a point shot from Ty Morton, a goal which resulted from the Rockets getting too deep into their own end.  A pass out of the corner found Morton all alone just over the blueline, and his hard blast just trickled by Jarrod Schamerhorn in the Golden cage.

     In the second period, Fernie dominated territorial-wise, outshooting the locals 17-4, with Schamerhorn making some outstanding saves.  Rockets penalty-killing units were tested several times, and did a great job keeping the strong Fernie powerplay off the scoresheet.  The only tally of the period came when R.T.Rice got behind the Rocket defense on a long stretch pass, and fired the puck off the post.

     In the third, Rockets ran into a little more penalty trouble early, but this time couldn't stem the Fernie offense, as the visitors Connor McLaughlin hit at the 3:10 mark.  The Rockets tried time and again to generate sustained offense in the Ghostrider end, but the Fernie defense was solid on this night.  Final score was 3-0 Fernie.

     Rockets are back on the ice Sunday afternoon, for another inter-divisional contest, this time against the visiting Kimberley Dynamiters.

 

     All in all, a very entertaining game from a fan's standpoint.  However, the Rockets came out on the short  end of a 5-4 game which they should have won.

     The first period started off a little tentative, with both teams "feeling" each other out.  The Rockets had a prolonged powerplay opportunity ( 6 full minutes) midway through the period, but couldn't connect, as the Thundercat penalty-kill was very aggressive.  The only goal of the period came with about three minutes left, when Trevor Forward moved the visitors into the lead.

     In the middle frame, the Rockets came out flying.  Bryden Marsh got things going early, tucking the puck home after being fed by Jacob Bergeron and Shane Rutherford.  At the midway mark of the period, Rockets veteran Kyle Garcia put the locals into the lead at 2-1 after he was neatly setup by talented Rocket rearguards Shane Rutherford and Aiden Nisse.  The lead was shortlived however, as Creston took full advantage (on their penalty-kill) to hit for a Darcy Flaherty shorthanded marker at 12:51.  In the latter stages of the period, the Rockets got caught out of position and Andrew Hodder made no mistake to send the T-Cats into the dressing room with a 3-2 lead.

     In the third, the Rockets applied pressure deep in the Creston end right from the opening faceoff.  T-Cats goalie Tyler Moffatt was tested from every angle, and was solid.  But then, at 7:51 Michael Anderson had just stepped onto the ice after serving his minor penalty, and scooped-up a perfect Darren Andre breakaway pass.  Michael gave a couple of quick moves on the Creston netminder, before drilling the puck home with a great snapshot.  It was Michael's first goal of the season, and deadlocked the game at 3-3.

     A short time later, the Golden powerplay look polished and complete, as Kyle Garcia hit for his second of the game, with helpers to Darren Andre and Brett Defrias to take the lead.  Creston stepped the play up a notch, and swarmed all around the Golden cage over the next few minutes, but Rockets goalie Cole Henson was sparkling, robbing several Thundercat snipers from in close.  But he couldn't block everything and, with less than three minutes left, Jovi Fabbri found the tying marker in a goal-mouth scramble.

     It would take two overtime sessions before a winner was declared, with Jovi Fabbri again finding the twine and grabbing the two points for his club.

     Both of these squads have put on quite a show for the fans over the last several games.  And they'll go at it once again this upcoming Sunday afternoon at the Rec Centre.  Don't miss this one!!