A road weekend split in games in the West Kootenay has the Golden Rockets mathematically closer to a post-season position. After dropping a 6-3 decision in Grand Forks last Friday, the local stars showed their grit Saturday night in Nelson, tying the game late in the third period and scoring the winner in overtime.
Friday in Grand Forks against the defending provincial champions, the Rockets were playing catch-up for most of the contest. The Border Bruins offence opened up a 2-0 lead after twenty minutes, a margin they increased to 3-0 after two periods.
That score held until just past the midway mark of the final frame, when the two teams managed to hit for three goals in just :29 seconds. The hosts would strike first at 11:10, but a mere twenty seconds later, Rocket’s talented defenceman Maddox DePasquale combined with Austin Bruce and Easton Doan to finally get Golden on the scoreboard. Not to be outdone, though, the Bruins replied with another marker, off the stick of Hayden Evans, just nine seconds afterwards.
Golden caught a bit of fire with under five minutes remaining, as Brock McIlwain and Cooper Thompson quickly brought the score to 5-3 with three minutes left on the clock. Maddox DePasquale (who played a strong game all night) picked up assists on both goals. A Grand Forks tally in the final minute sealed the deal, as the hosts took a 6-3 win.
Saturday, the action shifted to the Queen City, as Golden hit the ice against the Nelson Leafs. The Rockets threw everything they had at Nelson netminder Jacob Armstrong, who was stellar in goal the entire game.
The Leafs Sean Milford hit for the only goal of the first period, a marker which was eventually countered by Golden speedster Daniel Brown in the second frame. Rocket’s slick winger Brayden Bissell temporarily moved Golden in a brief lead at 1:08 of the final period, but then a pair of Nelson goals from Brad Boyarski and Ryan Williamson put Nelson in the lead.
With time winding down, Hayden Iron Shirt converted a great feed from Christian Stephenson and Liam Wienke to deadlock the game at 3-3 at 18:41. In the OT session, it took just :25 seconds for Iron Shirt to find the winner, as Brayden Bissell and Maddox DePasquale neatly set him up on the power play. Final score was 4-3. Rockets outshot Nelson 50-28. The win, combined with a Creston loss on the same night, puts the ThunderCats in a battle with Columbia Valley for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eddie Mountain Division.
Rockets hosted Columbia Valley on Tuesday at the Plywood Palace. Details of the game were not available at press time. Friday, Golden will once again hit home ice, this time against Creston.
