Rockets soar past Thunderbirds, 6-1 | WHL

Seattle travels to Prince George for weekend games

December 8, 2016 10:20 am
The Rockets’ Dillon Dube, right, checks the Tunderbirds’ Mathew Barzal at the Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia. COURTESY PHOTO, Marissa Baecker/Shoot the Breeze

The Kelowna Rockets defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 6-1 in Western Hockey League play Wednesday night at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia.

The T-Birds travel to Prince George to take on the Cougars in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday. Both games start at 7 p.m. The T-Birds return to the ShoWare Center on Tuesday to face the Spokane Chiefs at 7:05 p.m.

Kelowna (17-11-1-0) took a 1-0 lead 1:06 into the first period on a goal from Calvin Thurkauf. Jake Kryski and Devante Stephens had the assists.

Thurkauf scored a second goal at 10:54 of the second to give the Rockets a 2-0 lead. Nick Merkley and Cal Foote had the assists.

Both teams had nine shots on goal in the first period.

Tomas Soustal scored for the Rockets at 8:49 of the second period to make it a 3-0 Kelowna lead. Stephens and Dillon Dube were credited with the assists.

Seattle (15-10-2-0) got on the board on the power play at 11:26 of the second on Ryan Gropp’s ninth goal of the season. Goalie Rylan Toth controlled the puck behind the Seattle net. Ethan Bear skated the puck up the ice and into the Kelowna zone. Bear got the puck to Gropp in the right circle and he put a wrist shot over Kelowna goalie Michael Herringer’s glove for the goal.

Kelowna made it a 4-1 lead on a goal by Jake Kryski at 11:45 of the second and then 5-1 on a goal by Rodney Southam at 16:30 of the second.

The Rockets outshot the T-Birds 14-5 in the second period and led 25-14 in shots after two periods.

Matt Berlin replaced Toth in the Seattle net for the third period. Toth made 18 saves on 23 shots and his record is now 11-10-1-0.

Thurkauf scored a third goal at 16:30 of the third period to give the Rockets a 6-1 lead.

Kelowna outshot Seattle 9-8 in the third period and 32-22 in the game.

Berlin finished with eight saves on nine shots.

Herringer made 21 saves on 22 shots to improve his record to 14-8-1-0.

Tickets

Fans may purchase single game tickets online or at the ShoWare Center box office. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Kelowna, Thurkauf 10 (Kryski, Stephens), 1:06. 2, Kelowna, Thurkauf 11 (Merkley, Foote), 10:54. Penalties – True, Sea (goaltender interference), 6:02.

Second period – 3, Kelowna, Soustal 15 (Stephens, Dube), 8:49. 4, Seattle, Gropp 9 (Bear, Toth), 11:26 (pp). 5, Kelowna, Kryski 7 (Soustal, Dube), 11:45. 6, Kelowna, Southam 7 (Merkley, Hilsendager), 16:30. Penalties – Thurkauf, Kel (slashing), 10:54. Allbee, Sea (interference), 17:06. Schuldhaus, Sea (high-sticking), 18:04. Foote, Kel (tripping), 18:58.

Third period – 7, Kelowna, Thurkauf 12 (Merkley), 16:24. Penalties – Ottenbreit, Sea (major-fighting), 8:53. Southam, Kel (major-fighting), 8:53. Bruggen-Cate, Kel (hooking), 11:43. Kolesar, Sea (roughing), 19:03. Topping, Kel (roughing), 19:03.

Shots on goal – Seattle 9-5-8 22, Kelowna 9-14-9 32. Goalies – Seattle, Toth 23 shots-18 saves (11-10-1-0), Berlin 9-8; Kelowna, Herringer, 22-21 (14-8-1-0). b – Seattle 1-3; Kelowna 0-3. A – 4,721. Referees – Duncan Brow, Brett Iverson. Linesmen – Travis Gawryletz, Dustin Minty.