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Shane McColgan fires a shot off the far boards. (Photo Joe Fries)
By Pieter Uni
Kelowna lost its first game on home ice during the 2010 WHL playoffs, after the Tri-Cty Americans shutout the Rockets 2-0 in game three of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series.
Drew Owsley made 31 saves for his first shutout of the playoffs while Sergei Drozd and Johnny Lazo both scored as the Americans claimed a 2-1 series lead with Tuesday’s win at Prospera Place.
While Owsley was the star for the Americans, Rockets head coach Ryan Huska said his team simply didn’t play well.
“They (Tri-City) played a very good road game tonight, on our side, we didn’t skate,” said Huska. “It was one of those nights where it seemed we were content to be average.
“We just weren’t sharp. Against a good hockey club that’s playing a good road game, you have to push the envelope by being more aggressive. The game isn’t supposed to be easy this time of year, it is hard and you have to be willing to play that type of game.”
Sergei Drozd opened the scoring when the Tri-City forward notched his third goal of the series at 15:04 of the first. The Minsk, Belarus native jumped on a rebound in the slot and beat Mark Guggenberger after the Kelowna netminder made a strong first save but was abandoned by his defence.
The goal, the only of the period, was Drozd’s fifth of the 2010 WHL playoffs.
Both teams approached the opening period with a great deal of caution and it was the play of both goalies that was the difference. Guggenberger and Tri-City’s Owsley were solid in the period, making eight and 10 saves respectively.
The Americans struck again in the second period, off the stick of Lazo, to extend their lead to two goals heading into the third period.
Lazo’s second of the series with 4:09 in the stanza deflated the Rockets and the crowd of 5, 231 packed into Prospera Place.
Guggenberger, who made seven saves in the period, couldn’t stop Hughesman’s point-blank shot, while the Rockets couldn’t beat Owsley despite peppering the Tri-City goalie with 10 shots in the period.
The third saw Kelowna push hard to break Owsley’s shutout, but the home team couldn’t beat the game’s first star. Owsley finished with 31 saves, including a fantastic pad save late off Brandon McMillan, while Guggenberger finished with 22 on 24 shots.
Following the loss, Guggenberger said the team was disappointed with the result.
“Anytime you come back home with the series tied, you expect a little better effort than that. I think it could have been, we went down there to get a split and that is what we did,” he said. “Then we come back home and expect to win two and I don’t think we put in that kind of effort tonight.”
The Rockets will get a chance at redemption Wednesday night, when the two teams meet in game four, set for a 7 p.m. start.
sports@kelowna.com
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Shane McColgan puts on the brakes then oses the puck in the ensuing blizzard. (Photo Joe Fries)
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Rockets captain Lucas Bloodoff mixes it up in front of the Americans' goal. (Photo Joe Fries)
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Shane McColgan fires a shot off the far boards. (Photo Joe Fries)
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Rockets forward Lucas Bloodoff gives an Americans player a hard time as he tries to fish a stick off the ice. (Photo Joe Fries)
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Uncle Sam wants you... or at least wants to be on the helmet of Americans netminder Drew Owsley, a native of Lethbridge, Alta. (Photo Joe Fries)
Tags: Kelowna Rockets, tri-city americans, whl
