Entering the New Year less than three weeks ago, the Rockets were looking for a big month of January to advance upwards in the standings. With seven out of the ten January games on home ice and the team playing quite well, the odds were looking very good. But as things began to unfold, the KickingHorse crew had only managed a pair of wins until last Friday.
On that particular night, the Rockets were looking to gain ground on division-leading Kimberley. Despite the score, this game was played at a high tempo, with action at both ends of the ice. However, the visitors made the most of their opportunities and rolled to a 7-3 win. The Nitros held a slim 2-1 lead after the opening period, a margin they would stretch to 5-2 after forty minutes.
Golden markers came off the sticks of Cooper Thompson, Christian Stephenson and Hayden Iron Shirt. The loss was the third in a row for the club.
Sunday afternoon at the Plywood Palace, the team was looking to get back into the win column as they entertained the visiting Nelson Leafs. And, from the opening face-off, the local stars controlled the pace and came away with a solid 6-1 victory.
It took just :12 seconds for Golden to grab the lead, as Hayden Iron Shirt drove down the wing to the back of the net and fed a perfect centring pass to Brayden Bissell. With five minutes left in the period, Brayden Bissell connected for his second of the game, followed by a Cooper Thompson marker, as Golden opened up a 3-0 lead.
The gap was extended to 5-0 after the second period, with Jackson Roberts and Spencer Bates finding the mark. In the final frame, the clubs traded goals. At 13:24, Liam Wienke weaved his way through the Nelson defence with a fine end-to-end rush. The Leafs did manage to get one by Rocket goaltender Beck Boiteau late in the game. Final score was 6-1. Golden outshot Nelson 48-26.
The win places the Rockets just a single point behind Fernie for second place in the division.
This weekend, a key home-and-home matchup with those same Fernie Ghostriders promises all kinds of excitement for hockey fans in both venues. Action gets underway at the Plywood Palace on Friday, before swinging to the southern centre Saturday night.
