Rocks turn the Corner

2010-07-24

The Rocks kept up the pressure in the second period, firing 21 shots at the Laker net.  The work rate paid off with the Rocks tallying 4 goals in the first half of the period: Kory Kowalyk from Dean Hill and Mike Pires at 1:41; Matt Lyons at 5:25 from Benesch; the second of the game from Benesch at 7:07, assisted by Lyons and Dylan Llord; and Jeff Shattler from Benesch at 8:21.  The Lakers scored three goals in between the Rocks scoring, the third Laker goal from Calvin Craig at 9:10. The Rocks then closed the middle frame with three more goals, unanswered:  Mike Pires from Kevin Dostie at 10:25; Dean Hill from Benesch and Tyler Pridham at 16:20, and; the hat trick from Benesch at 19:19, set up by Pires and Brock Armour.  The Rocks took a three-goal lead into the second intermission, 8 to 5.  There were five penalties in the second period, this time the Rocks were tagged with three. Determined to open some distance, the Rocks started the third period quickly, notching two goals early: the second from Pires at 1:14, from Dostie and Curt Morwick, and; the fourth from Benesch from Pires and Kowalyk at 2:29.  The Rocks had a five-goal cushion.  Cam Sedgwick closed the gap, scoring at 6:02, but Jeff Shattler restored the five-goal lead scoring unassisted at 9:37. Any thought that the Lakers would now go quietly were dispelled, with the Lakers finding the range for the next two goals, before Kowalyk bagged his second of the game at 18:39.  Dylan Llord got the assist on the Kowalyk goal, for the last goal of the game. The final score was 12 to 8 for the Rocks.  The Rocks outshot the Lakers 17 to 12 in the final period, 58 to 37 for the game.  The Rocks were fully deserving of the win, never taking the foot off the pedal.  It is a good sign with the approaching playoffs. The win keeps the Rocks solidly in second place in the standings, two points behind the New West Bellies, with each team having one game remaining.  Both teams play their final regular season game at home, the Bellies facing Burnaby and the Rocks squaring off with the Timbermen. The Rocks last regular season game goes at Bear Mountain on Friday July 30th, at 7:45.