After the Golden Rockets finally got their first win of the season two weeks ago, many of their fans might have expected them to rattle off a few wins, having been finally unshackled from the burden of going winless through the first two months and change of the 2015/16 season.
While Golden did manage its second win of the year last weekend against Creston Valley, that triumph was sandwiched in the middle of four losses that saw Golden get outscored by a 23-2 count, the last two defeats coming over the weekend to the Nelson Leafs and the Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
As in the team’s loss to Columbia Valley the week before, the Rockets felt like they had the short end of the calls from the referee on Friday at home. When the dust had settled, Golden had been shorthanded a whopping 11 times, including a nine-minute disadvantage that began late in the second period.
Head coach Jason Stephens had a hard time recalling if he’d seen a nine minute penalty before.
“I think it happened one time before. It’s probably the rarest thing you’ll ever see in the game,” he said.
“I (was) frustrated tonight with this referee…just absolutely everything he could call against us went against us.”
Encouragingly, the Rockets allowed just two power play goals through those 11 penalties, as the penalty killing unit and goaltender Brody Nelson held the Leafs’ power play in check.
Unfortunately for the home side, it was a different story at even strength.
After a scoreless first period, the Leafs got on the board early and often in the second, drawing first blood a handful of minutes into the period courtesy of Tyler Garcia. Soon after, Kolten Nelson and Samuel Weber tallied a pair of goals just over a minute apart and Eamonn Miller extended the Nelson advantage to 4-0 with a power play goal with 8:35 remaining in the frame.
Before the end of what was a miserable period for Golden, Rockets defenceman Sean Ripley was given the gate for fighting, as well as two minutes for instigating and another two minutes for interference. The penalties resulted in the infamous nine minute power play that Golden nearly killed off.
The lone breakthrough for Nelson on the lengthy advantage came five minutes into the third period as Jordan Davie beat Nelson on a shot the steady netminder would probably like to have back.
Golden failed to break the shutout in the late stages of the third, as Leafs goalie Patrick Ostermann made 23 saves for the clean sheet.
Things didn’t get much better for Golden the following night, as they fell by a 6-1 score to the Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
The Hawks got on the board first with a power play goal less than five minutes into the first but Goldenite Jake Gudjonson responded with a power play goal of his own minutes later.
It was all Nitehawks from there, as they scored five unanswered to close out the Rockets with ease.
Keyon Bittner was in net for Golden, making 49 saves in the defeat, although the shot count appeared to be inflated by the home side.
“I thought he played well in all honesty. He made some huge saves. He was hung out to dry on at least four (goals),” Stephens said.
While the Rockets weren’t particularly pleased with the officiating on Friday night, Stephens was quick to acknowledge that his club simply had to be more disciplined going forward.
“We can’t play hockey games like this…it was frustrating (Saturday) for me as a coach,” Stephens said.
“I think they have to realize themselves that you’ve gotta play within the boundaries of the rules.”
The Rockets will have a chance to get back in the win column on Friday when they host former coach Ty Davidson and his struggling Sicamous Eagles. The Rockets managed their first win of the season against Sicamous last month and will hope for more success against a club that has just five wins this season.
Golden will be in Creston on Saturday night to complete their weekend.
