iSight Optometry Recap: Rockets lose tightly contested game to Royals

iSight Optometry Recap: Rockets lose tightly contested game to Royals

The Kelowna Rockets fell 2-1 to the Victoria Royals in a tightly contested affair Friday night at Prospera Place.

The Royals scored the opening goal 1:13 into the contest off the stick of Markus Luponen to give Victoria an early 1-0 lead. The score would remain 1-0 Royals until early in the third period when Michael Cicek deflected a Jackson Gillespie point shot to knot the game at one. The tie wouldn’t last long though as Victoria found the game winning goal from Nate Misskey at 6:13 of the third period.

“Can’t start the game like that. It’s as simple as that,” said Rockets Head Coach Kris Mallette. “I mean, the puck drops and we’re sitting there watching. 1:13 into the game, loose change in front of our net, we’re soft and it’s in the back and now we’re playing catch up.”

“I like the way that we responded. Did we have some chances? Yep. But again, we can’t just start and give freebies out like that.”

HIGHLIGHTS | BOXSCORE | POSTGAME MALLETTE | POSTGAME CICEK

GAME SUMMARY

Victoria got off to a quick start in the first period, scoring just over a minute into the game off a goal from Import Markus Luponen, his first in the WHL to go up 1-0. The second period was closely checked and saw no goals take place in the frame, with both goaltenders making some big saves to keep it a 1-0 game. Michael Cicek brought the Rockets back on even footing with a deflection off a point shot that found the top corner past Royals goaltender Spencer Michnik. Victoria would nab the game winning goal just under two minutes after the Rockets tied the game from 2024 San Jose Sharks draft pick Nate Misskey and the Royals were able to grind out a 2-1 victory.