Rockets stomped 8-3

Photo: Marissa Baecker

The Kelowna Rockets were first on the scoreboard, but lost in an 8-3 blowout to the Victoria Royals Wednesday night at Prospera Place.

Dillon Dube put the home team on the board at 1:42 of the first period, his first goal of the season, with assists from Erik Gardiner and Carsen Twarynski.

Kole Lind gave Kelowna a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission with his fourth of the season off Kaedan Korczak and Kyle Topping. 

Victoria replied early in the second with a goal by Regan Nagy. And then the taps opened.

Royals forward Ryan Peckford evened things up with a power play marker at 7:03. Yan Khomenko and Dante Hannoun both scored for the Royals before Nagy scored his second of the night. Jared Legien scored a late power play goal and Victoria took a 6-2 lead into the final period.

Nagy scored again early in the third, and Conner Bruggen-Cate replied for the Rockets, but it was too little, too late

Khomenko potted another one for the Royals, making it 8-3 Victoria

Brodan Salmond stopped 10 of 15 shots faced, and James Porter stopped 8 of 11 as the Rockets out-shot the Royals 29-26.

The loss drops the Rockets' record to 2-1-0-1.

Kelowna is back in action Friday and Saturday in Prince George against the Cougars. 

The Rockets's next home game is Oct. 13 against the Calgary Hitmen.