Victoria gets late shorthanded goal in win over Kelowna Rockets

Photo: Kevin Light

Reggie Newman scored twice in Royals 3-2 win over Kelowna

Cole Reschny snapped a 2-2 tie with a shorthanded goal with 2:33 left in regulation time Saturday leading the Victoria Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets.

The win capped a weekend sweep of the Rockets by identical 3-2 scores.

With the Rockets on a power play late in the third, Caden Price lost the handle on the puck just outside the Rockets blueline.

Reschny grabbed the loose, skated around Price and beat Jari Kykkanen low to the stick side from the low slot.

The goal stymied a Rockets comeback that saw them scored twice in the third to erase a 2-0 deficit.

Reggie Newman scored twice to give the Royals a 2-0 lead. He tallied on a power play in the final minute of the first then doubled the lead just nine seconds into the second.

But the Rockets, as they did the night before peppered Braden Holt in the third period in an attempt to cut into the deficit.

Tij Iginla cut the deficit in half when his backdoor one-timer from the top of the right circle squeezed through Holt.

Gabriel Szturc went top shelf from the slot for his 27th to tie it with just under 12 minutes left in regulation time.

The Rockets fired 16 shots at Holt but were unable to find the go ahead goal.

Both teams scored once with the man advantage.

The loss for the Rockets was their fourth in a row and 10th in their last 13.

They sit seventh in the Western Conference just two points up on the Spokane Chiefs. Ninth place Tri-City, who will provide the opposition for Monday's Family Day matinee, are just six back.

Faceoff Monday is 2 p.m.