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Goaltending gives Kelowna Rockets the edge in Victoria

KELOWNA 5 VICTORIA 3 Traded by the Victoria Royals this season, goaltender Michael Herringer of Comox made a triumphant return to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
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Rockets Cole Martin, left, and Joe Gatenby put the squeeze on Royals Austin Carroll, as Kelowna and Victoria battled it out in WHL action on Wednesday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

KELOWNA 5   VICTORIA 3

Traded by the Victoria Royals this season, goaltender Michael Herringer of Comox made a triumphant return to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

The Islander made 30 saves in backstopping the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-3 Western Hockey League victory Wednesday night before 4,081 fans.

Herringer was traded by Victoria to Saskatoon, released by the Blades, and picked up by the Rockets. He is now 3-0 for Kelowna with six goals allowed.

“[Herringer] played well,” said Victoria captain Brandon Magee.

“We tried to direct pucks and bodies at the net but he made some big saves when they [Rockets] needed them.”

It was the Royals’ goaltending position that was under more glare Wednesday after Coleman Vollrath was chased from the net in the opening 10 minutes after allowing three goals and replaced by affiliate player Jayden Sittler, who is on call from the Alberta Junior League. Evan Smith, the usual back-up to Vollrath, is on the injured list.

The Rockets, the top-ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League, moved to 21-1-2 in pursuit of the all-time WHL and CHL record of 60 regular-season victories held by the 1980-81 Victoria Cougars.

Tyson Baillie scored his league-leading 18th goal for the Rockets while defenceman Jesse Lees scored twice. The Royals (12-11-2) got goals from Brandon Magee, on the power play, Brandon Fushimi and Joe Hicketts.

Sittler and Vollrath combined for 22 saves for Victoria.

“We were not prepared enough,” said Magee, of the Royals.

“We can’t get too comfortable winning just one game,” he added, alluding to Tuesday’s 4-3 Victoria overtime victory against the Rockets.

The game ended with a bit of a melee with several players going at it in the way of fisticuffs.

The Royals meet the surprising CHL No. 8 Everett Silvertips (14-3-3) on Friday at the Memorial Centre. The Regina Pats (12-9-1) make their once-every-two years visit to Blanshard Street on Saturday.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com