Rockets ride rookie wave

Photo: Cindy Rogers

The Kelowna Rockets keep showing fans what the future between the pipes is going to look like.

For the third time this season, a rookie started, and picked up a win for the Rockets.

Saturday, it was 15-year-old Cole Tisdale's turn.

Tisdale, called up from AAA midget in Lethbridge after fellow rookies Roman Basran and James Porter went down with injuries, made 23 stops in an 8-4 win over the Victoria Royals.

He made his official WHL debut the night before, coming on in relief of Brodan Salmond during a 7-2 loss in Seattle. Tisdale allowed two goals on 17 shots in just under half a game of work Friday.

Saturday, he got all the offensive support he needed.

The Rockets scored twice with the man advantage while the winner, off the stick of Leif Mattson, came with the Rockets shorthanded.

Jack Cowell scored twice, both in the third period as the Rockets salted away the victory, while Kole Lind came up with a goal and three assists to run his point streak to 15 games.

He has 10 goals and 18 assists over that span.

Cal Foote, Dillon Dube, Kyle Topping and Carsen Twarynski with his 30th, also scored for the Rockets. James Hilsendager, Connor Bruggen-Cate and Nolan Foote each chipped in with a pair of assists.

The Royals scored three of their goals on the power play, while Igor Martynov scored the other on a late-game penalty shot.

With the win, the Rockets again move three points up on the Royals in the battle for top spot in the BC Division. The Vancouver Giants, 2-0 losers at home to Portland, are now four back.

The Rockets still hold two games in hand on Victoria and one on the Giants.

Kelowna now hits the road for a three-game swing through the Central Division.

They'll play in Lethbridge Wednesday, Medicine Hat Friday and Red Deer Saturday, before returning home to host the Medicine Hat Tigers Tuesday, Jan. 30.