Sports

Madison Bowey scored twice and Rourke Chartier netted the winner in the sixth round of the shootout Wednesday to squeak out a 4-3 victory over the undermanned Victoria Royals.

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Rockets Cole Martin and Jordan Fransoo of the Royals battle for a loose puck in the corner during Wednesday's WHL game at Prospera Place

The win came against a Royals team playing with just 18 skaters including three affiliated players called up for the game to replace regulars injured or facing suspension.

"I think we got off to a really slow start. You saw at the end it was a real character win but that's not what we want against a team like this who's line-up was really depleted," says Bowey of the effort Wednesday.

"We battled hard to get back into the game but we want to straighten it up for the Loops (Kamloops) this weekend."

The game at times looked more like a pre-season game than one just a few weeks shy of the beginning of post season play - it was sloppy, poor passing, poor execution, missed assignments.

Bowey says part of that may have been a Rockets team taking the opposition a little lightly.

"Our game plan is to never take a team lightly and just outwork them and today I don't think for all 60 minutes we did. We have to straighten it out and come to play on Friday and Saturday. "

With the game knotted at 2-2 and overtime looming Austin Carroll cut cross-crease off the right wing and beat Jordon Cooke from in close with a far-side backhand with just 75 seconds to go in regulation time.

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Rourke Chartier's goal in the sixth round of the shootout stood up as the winner.

Just 27 seconds later Bowey drilled his second of the night off Victoria forward Brandon Magee.

Bowey's one-timer off a nice saucer pass from Zach Franko was his 12th of the season.

"I saw the forward shade over there to Franko more so I knew I had a lane to shoot on the net," says Bowey of the tying goal.

"I called for the puck and I just looked quickly to the net and saw an opening so I shot it."

Jesse Lees scored the goal in regulation time.

Both teams had chances to end it in the four-on-four overtime but neither was able to seal the deal forcing the shootout.

After 10 unsuccessful shots 16-year-old rookie Rourke Chartier stepped up and beat Coleman Vollrath five-hole.

The goal stood up as the winner after Cooke stopped Jamie Crooks with the Royals last chance to extend the game.

For Chartier, not only was it probably his biggest goal as a Rocket but it was also his first every WHL shootout attempt.

"I just tried to shoot. Lots of guys were trying to deke and I saw a bit of room in the five-hole and it worked," says Chartier of the winner.

The Royals, the most penalized team in the Western Hockey League coming in took just three minor penalties a night after being assessed 108 minutes in a 6-0 loss in Kamloops.

Kelowna capitalized on one of those three power-play chances.

Wednesday's win moves the Rockets three points up on Kamloops in the battle for top spot in the BC Division and sets up a key home-and-home series against the division rivals.

The Rockets and Blazers hook up Friday night in Kamloops before a return engagement Saturday at Prospera Place.

Kamlooops has beat the Rockets on four straight occasions and were far and away the better team during the last three.

Both teams close out the regular season the following weekend.