The three-time defending B.C. champion Kelowna Rockets have a one game lead in the Okanagan Mainline midget tier 1 hockey final.
The Rockets opened the best-of-three championship series with a convincing 6-0 win over Kamloops Saturday night at Memorial Arena.
Travis Mayne was solid in net early for the Rockets and made 25 saves for the shutout.
Wyatt Head, with two, Zak Keeler, Jeremy Hite, Shay Cyra and Jeff Karpowich scored for Kelowna which fired 42 shots at the Blazers.
The Rockets will look to wrap up the series this coming Saturday in Kamloops.
A third game, if necessary, would be played Sunday at 4:45 p.m. back in Kelowna.
In other OMAHA playoff action, the Kelowna bantam tier 1 Rockets lost 3-2 to Kamloops in the series opener on Saturday at CNC.
Game 2 goes this coming Saturday in Kamloops, with a third game, if necessary, set for Sunday at 1 p.m. at CNC.
In bantam A girls action, Kelowna defeated Kamloops 4-1 Saturday at CNC in the opener of the Okanagan Mainline final. The second game goes this Saturday in Kamloops, with Game 3, if needed, set for Sunday afternoon at CNC.
Midget Rockets win in U.S…
The tier 1 midget Rockets travelled to Riverside, CA earlier this month and returned home with a tournament title.
Kelowna went undefeated to capture the Wildcats President’s Day Cup in the midget elite division.
The Rockets opened with a 2-2 tie against the Wildcats Nationals, then defeated the Anaheim junior Ducks 8-2 and the California Wave 5-2 to place first overall.
In the final, it was no contest as Kelowna took care of Corona/Norca Varsity—a local high school team—with an 8-0 win.
“Apparently we had a reputation of playing ‘tough’ so by the final game I think the competition was a little nervous,” said Rockets coach Lee Hamilton. “Good way to boost confidence for the boys and great team bonding.”
During their downtime, the Rockets enjoyed some 85˚ F weather, went to Disneyland, Laguna Beach, some malls and hung out by the pool.
