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Kelowna Rockets needed extra time again in a win over Tri-City

Rockets sweep weekend

The Kelowna Rockets didn't make it easy on themselves this weekend.

For the third game in as many nights the Rockets needed to go beyond 60 minutes to secure a victory.

Sunday, they squandered a pair of third period leads before finally taking down the Tri-City Americans 5-4 in a shootout.

The win follows up a 5-4 overtime win in Spokane Saturday and a 4-3 shootout win at home against the Vancouver Giants Friday.

Marcus Pacheco and Talyn Boyko shared the heroes role Sunday. Pacheco scored the only goal in a five-player shootout while Boyko stood tall in denying the Americans on their five opportunities to preserve the one-goal victory.

The Americans struck first with the only goal of the opening period, but it was the Rockets who got rolling in the second.

Max Graham scored goals 28 seconds apart just past the midway mark of the second to give the Rockets their first lead of the night.

Adam Kydd with his 19th four minutes later staked the Rockets to a two-goal cushion.

But, goals late in the second and four minutes into the third pulled the Americans even.

Andrew Cristall again put the Rockets up a goal nine minutes into the third but Ethan Peters on a Tri-City power play evened the score at 4-4, setting the stage for overtime.

The extra period settled nothing, forcing the shootout.

Sunday's win, the Rockets third in a row, keeps them within three points of the Vancouver Giants in the battle for seventh in the Western Conference.

The Giants do hold a game in hand.

The Rockets continue a string of five straight on the road when they travel north to face the Prince George Cougars. They play in Kamloops Friday before hosting the same Blazers Saturday.



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