Rockets Action Summary – Great Rocket Comeback Falls Just A Bit Short

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023   Kimberley 5  Rockets 4 (overtime)

     The first home game of the New Year developed into an exciting third period comeback for the Rockets, as the local stars battled tough and forced the Dynamiters to overtime.

     The visitors opened a 2-0 lead in the first period on a Cash Regan powerplay goal at 9:04, followed later in the frame with a Kade Leskosky marker.  Around the midway point of the period, the Rockets found themselves 2-men short after a pair of successive minor penalties, but the club’s penalty-killing units held strong.

     Just a couple of minutes into the middle stanza, Rocket’s netminder Levi Hall came up with a huge save, robbing Nitro forward Isaac Sommer on a breakaway.  That seemed to send a spark into the Golden as, at 4:01 Captain Jordan Lario stole the puck at his own blueline, raced down the left wing and made a cool deke on Kimberley goalie Trystan Self.  Dominic Fiorentino was also in on the play.

     But that was all Golden could muster in the period, while Kimberley added another pair off the sticks of Luke Rothfos and Carson Cleland to open a 4-1 lead.

      If there is one aspect of the Golden game which has stood out, it’s that the Rockets have been a very strong 3rd period club all season, and that aspect was on display this night at the Plywood Palace.

     One of the bright spots in the Golden lineup, Dominic Fiorentino (who has nearly tripled his point totals from last season), has been playing a solid two-way game.  At 9:41 of the final frame, the slick, wiry forward got his club back in the game with a powerplay goal setup by linemates Zac Siudy and Hayden Barr.  With the score at 4-2, and just over 4 minutes on the clock, it appeared the Dynamiters were in control.

     Cue the Golden Rockets comeback.

     At 15:56, the prettiest play of the evening developed deep in the Nitro end, as Jordan Lario and Kade Cochlan combined to feed the puck to Dominic Fiorentino, who rifled a shot behind Self to run the score to 4-3.  The clock continued to tick away, but Golden remained undaunted.

     At 17:20, a textbook face-off play in the Kimberley end deadlocked the game at 4-4.  Playmaking specialist Levi Lamotte cleanly drew the puck back to linemate and Rocket sniper Nick Morin, whose quick, accurate wrist shot found the top left corner.

     That sent the game into the overtime session where, just under two minutes in, veteran Jayden Kostiuk took a nice feed from Luke Rothfos and slid the puck under Levi Hall’s pads for the win.

     Final score was 5-4.  Rockets were outshot 41-25.  Despite the loss, an important one point in the standings for the club.

     Key inter-divisional contests continue this weekend, as the Rockets travel to Creston this Friday, then return to home-ice once again to tangle with the Dynamiters Saturday.