With a key showdown against the rival Vancouver Northwest Giants coming up next, the Okanagan Rockets first made a little history on home ice this weekend.
The Rockets swept a pair of B.C. Major Midget League games from the South Island Royals at the Capital News Centre to push their home-ice record in 2013-14 to a perfect 16-0-0.
The win total breaks the club’s former record for home ice wins (15) set back in the 2006-07 BCMML season.
On Saturday, the Rockets dumped the Royals 5-1. Royals net minder Chris Smith held his team in the game with 21 saves in the opening period. But after falling behind 1-0 in the second, Okanagan settled the issue with five unanswered goals.
Tanner Browne scored with just 26 seconds left in the second period, before Tanner Campbell and Cory Santoro put the game out of reach with two goals apiece in the third.
Brendan Barry continued his solid play for the Rockets as he stopped 25 of 26 and improved his record to 11-1-0 on the season.
On Sunday, Campbell continued his torrid scoring pace with a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win. Campbell has 53 points this season.
Jake Kryski, fresh off his two-game stint with the Kamloops Blazers, Tyson Jost, Branden Wagner, Linden Hora, and Kobe Oishi also scored for the Rockets in the victory.
Reid Kilburn earned his league leading 16th win of the season while making 25 saves.
With 55 points, the Rockets (27-4-1) remain two points ahead of the second place Vancouver NW Giants heading into the second showdown of the season between the two league powers this weekend at the Burnaby Winter Club.
Each team has eight games remaining in the regular season.
