Rockets/G-Men conclude regular season

Is Madison Bowey's team record in jeopardy this weekend?

Game Day Preview: Welcome to the final weekend of the 2017-2018 Western Hockey League regular season. The Kelowna Rockets play their final road game against the Vancouver Giants. The Rockets are 3-2-1-0 in the seasonal series, with two losses and a one goal win at the Langley Events Centre. The Rockets are 24-5-1-0 in the last 30 meetings against the Giants including 10-5-0-0 in their last 15 visits to Vancouver/Langley. Carsen Twarynski leads the Rockets in the seasonal series with 5+3=8 while Kole Lind has 2+4=6 in four games against the G-Men. James Porter Junior has appeared in 5 games, going 2-2-1-0 with a goals against average of 3.85 and a save percentage of .879. These two teams conclude the regular season tomorrow night at Prospera Place. The Rockets are coming off a 6-3 win over Prince George Wednesday night. Cal Foote scored twice in the come-from-behind win as the Rockets struck for five-third period goals. The Rockets fired a season high 50 shots on net in their third straight win.  

 

Worth Watching: Cal Foote has 19 goals this season. The team record for goals by a defenceman is 21 set by Madison Bowey in the 2013-2014 season. Foote is currently tied with Tyson Barrie (2009-2010) for second, all-time, with 19 goals. Also worth watching this weekend is leading scorer Kole Lind. With 93 points, Lind is trying to become the first Rockets forward in 10 years to reach the 100 point plateau. Colin Long had 100 points in the 2007-2008 season. 

 

Bring in the recruits: The team has called up affiliated players Dallon Wilton and Cayde Augustine. Wilton is from Beausejour, Manitoba and was a third round bantam pick from 2016. Wilton had a great season with the Eastman Selects scoring 25 goals, collecting 27 assists for a 52 point season in only 48 games in the Manitoba Midget Hockey League. A big boy, the 16 year-old Wilton stands 6’2 and weighs 215 pounds. Augustine, from Airdrie, is a 6’2, 220 pound 16 year-old defenceman who played three games with the Rockets earlier this season.

 

Broadcasters Notebook: Nolan Foote returns to the line-up Wednesday after missing 17 games with an upper body injury. Foote had a goal and an assist in a 6-3 win over Prince George…The team has 25 wins at home, two more than last season at Prospera Place…The Rockets have five hat-tricks this season from Carsen Twarynski (vs. Portland/Prince George), and Kole Lind (PA/Kamloops/Prince George)……The Rockets had their 13 game home ice winning streak snapped January 5^th vs. Seattle…The Rockets are 7 and 5 in overtime with game winners coming from Kole Lind (twice), Dillon Dube Carsen Twarynski (twice) and Cal Foote (twice). The only losses in OT came against the Tri City Americans, Portland Winterhawks, Red Deer Rebels and Victoria Royals….The Rockets are 21-7-2-0 against teams in the BC Division…Carsen Twarynski is the first Rockets forward to score 40+ goals since Tyson Baillie (43) in the 2015-2016 season. If Kole Lind can score two more goals to join Twarynski, it will mark the first time since 1996-1997 that the team has had two-40 goal scorers. Jason Deleurme and Brett McLean hold that distinction.

 

Roster Stats:

Player total: 25

Year by Year Breakdown:

20’s (1997) – 3   Ballhorn, Twarynski, Hilsendager           

19’s (1998) - 5   Salmond, Lind, Dube, Cal Foote, Chizen

18’s (1999) - 6   Topping, Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate, Cowell, Skvrne

17’s (2000) - 9   Porter, Foote, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, McGauley, Kushniryk, Pow, Hair

16’s (2001) - 2   Korczak, Basran

 

NHL Drafted Players: Cal Foote (Tampa Bay 2017), Kole Lind (Vancouver 2017), Dillon Dube (Calgary 2016), Carsen Twarynski (Philadelphia 2016), Brayden Chizen (Minnesota 2016).  

 

Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150