In their first game action after the holiday break, the Quesnel Kangaroos headed to Smithers to take on the Steelheads Jan. 11 at the Pond.
The Steelheads would ring the bell first, scoring early in the first period. Roos captain Alessio Tomassetti would score the equalizer, assisted by Payton Schaefer and Justin Fulton, but the Steelheads would add two more, ending the first with a 3-1 lead.
The second period saw the Roos get back on the offensive track, out-shooting their opponents 18-3. Jonathan Belyan and Joshua Garneau each found the back of the net, while Lane Vandewetering scored a pair for the Roos. Unfortunately for the Quesnel squad, the three shots fired by the Steelheads all found their way past goaltender Brandon Peacock, making the score 4-3 after two.
The third period saw the Roos dominate the offensive end, heavily out-shooting the fish 18-5. However, only a shot from Eli Jarvis’s lumber was able to set off the red light for the Roos, while the Steelheads added a pair of goals, bringing the final score to 8-6 for Smithers.
The second game of the weekend saw the Roos head to Hazelton to take on the Wolverines in an afternoon game on Jan. 12.
The points were plentiful for both teams in this action-packed matchup, which saw three goals scored in the first three minutes of action.
Chad Kimmie, Brady Godsoe and Justin Fulton all scored for the Roos in the first, but the Wolverines weren’t slacking, as they put up four points of their own, heading to the locker room with a 4-3 lead after one.
The second period saw both teams trading goals back and forth, with the Wolverines adding three to their tally, while Fulton, Logan Archer, Godsoe and Dominic Tomassetti each scored for the Roos to tie the game 7-7 after 40 minutes.
The Wolverines would pull away from the Roos early in the third, scoring three of their four goals of the period within the first seven minutes of play. Eli Jarvis and Kimmie would each send the rubber into the rope for the Roos, but it wouldn’t be enough, as the Wolverines won the game with a final score of 11-9.
With the two losses, the Roos saw their regular season record dip below .500 and now sit tied with the Williams Lake Stampeders for third place with 12 points in the CIHL standings.
The Roos will look to improve their record this weekend, as they play their last two home games of the regular season, taking on the Terrace River Kings Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and the Prince Rupert Rampage on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. at the West Fraser Centre in Quesnel.
READ MORE: Quesnel Kangaroos stamp out Williams Lake
editor@quesnelobserver.com
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