Rough start at midget tourney

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

OHA forward Akash Bains tries to squeek one past the goaltender during his club's 6-1 spanking of Compete Hockey Academy.

Both the defending champion Okanagan Rockets and host Kelowna Fripp Warehousing Jr Rockets had tough starts on day one of the 36th Daily Courier Kelowna Major Midget Hockey Tournament.

The hosts were lacklustre during a 7-1 shellacking at the hands of cross town rival Pursuit of Excellence.

POE grabbed a 2-0 lead during a sloppy opening 20 minutes. Zach Zorn scored the back breaker, beating Gio Sambrielaz with a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle with less than three seconds left in the period.

The visitors scored two more in the middle frame including the 4-0 goal also in the final minute.

Seven different players lit the lamp for POE with Braeden Harke and Brendan Lane each picking up a goal and an assist.

Jeremy Hilte scored the lone goal for the Jr Rockets on a power-play with less than three minutes left.

The Okanagan Rockets, who breezed through the tournament a year ago in winning for the second time were stymied 2-1 by Delta.

Delta led 1-0 through much of the game before the Rockets tied it in the third.

It appeared they would need overtime to decide the contest when Delta pulled ahead with less than three minutes to go in regulation time.

The Okanagan Rockets had a couple of chances with goaltender Jordan Reynolds on the bench for an extra attacker but were unable to get the equalizer.

In other opening day games Jordan Bellerive scored three times leading Okanagan Hockey Academy white out of Penticton to a 6-1 win over Compete Hockey Academy from Coeur d'Alene, ID.

The Saskatoon Contacts got a pair from Garrett Pilon in a 5-0 win over the Kitchener Jr Rangers. Kelowna Rockets prospect Kole Lind had a goal and two assists for Saskatoon, a team coached by Marc Chartier, father of Rockets Rourke Chartier.

The only other game saw one of the pre-tournament favourites Yale Academy from Abbotsford dump Lethbridge 5-1.

Tak Anholt scored twice while Carter Shannon chipped in with three helpers.

Another game between Moose Jaw and Okanagan Hockey Academy red was re-scheduled for Friday after the Moose Jaw squad found themselves stuck in Golden for nearly 24 hours.

The tournament continues Thursday with games at both Rutland and Memorial arenas.

The Okanagan Rockets face off against Compete Hockey Academy and OHA white while the Jr Rockets look to bounce back with games against OHA red and Moose Jaw.

The tournament final is set for Sunday at 12:30 at the Rutland Arena.