The Golden Rockets opened up the 2025-26 KIJHL season on a positive note, as their balanced attack and strong defensive work shone in a pair of contests.
Last Friday in Invermere, the Rockets were flying high from the opening face-off, and needed only a couple of minutes to hit the scoreboard. Jackson Gair was the key playmaker in this contest, connecting on the opening goal at 2:20, then later assisting on markers from Simon Mendiola and Chase Pilling, to open up a 3-0 Golden lead. Cooper Thompson also got in on the Pilling goal.
Thompson would go on to hit for the only tally of the middle frame, on a powerplay setup from Simon Mendiola and Alexander Kwong.
In the final period, the Rockets further extended the margin to 5-0, as rookie speedster Alexander Kwong finished off a nice play from Brock McIlwain and Jackson Roberts. Columbia Valley did manage to hit for a pair of goals in the period, but the Golden defence was strong the rest of the way, as the locals kicked off the 2025-26 season in fine fashion with the 5-2 win.
Golden netminder Evan Leggett kicked out 36 shots in the game. Rockets took five of the twelve penalties called by referees Gerald Hofferd and Fisher Nelson.
Saturday evening before a loud hometown crowd, the Rockets and visiting Revelstoke Grizzlies put on quite a show at the Plywood Palace. Both netminders, Golden’s Beck Boiteau and Revelstoke’s Austin Siebel were on top of their game, each coming up with tremendous saves at both ends of the ice time and again.
Just after the midway mark of the opening period, the Grizzlies hit the scoreboard first with a powerplay goal, on a Jake Neufeld tally. That lead held until 16:06, when Brett Krawchuk and Justin Mol combined to feed linemate Hayden Iron Shirt on the right wing. Taking the quick pass, the speedy winger outraced the Revelstoke defence along the boards and, as he moved behind the net, stuffed the puck into the low corner to tie the game at 1-1.
No scoring in the penalty-filled middle stanza, which saw both teams generating scoring chances, only to be stymied by the respective goalkeepers.
In the third period, another Grizzlies powerplay moved the visitors into the lead again, with Neufeld hitting for his second of the game. But five minutes later, with a powerplay of their own at 12:37, some crisp passing from Hayden Iron Shirt to Brandon Spilchen set-up marksman Jackson Gair in front, and a quick snapshot found the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2.
Nothing was solved in the five-minute overtime session, and the game needed a player shootout to decide the winner. Again both netminders were solid, but it was a good wristshot from Rocket forward Jackson Roberts which proved to the winning goal. Final score was 3-2. Beck Boiteau turned aside 45 Revelstoke drives.
Rockets next game will be this Saturday, when they will battle the visiting Sicamous Eagles at the Plywood Palace starting at 7:00pm.
