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‘Roos finish road streak with a loss

A couple rescinded goals hamper 'Roos in game against Williams Lake.
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Nick Tommassetti takes a shot in last Friday’s loss against the Williams Lake Stampeders.

Friday was a hard night for the ‘Roos.

Bouncing from work over to Williams Lake for their final away game in a month of weekends away, the ‘Roos finished the run of away games with a hard loss.

A couple disallowed goals and game-ending stumbles drowned the ‘Roos in a 6-1 loss against the division-leading Williams Lake.

“They scored and we didn’t, that’s the bottom line, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. We just weren’t rewarded for our effort,” coach Brian Kozak said.

The first period started off with a lot of back and forth, but no pay off, as both teams vied for their first goal for three quarters of the first.

It was past 16 minutes before the Stampeders would grab their first goal.

Andrew Fisher got the Stampeders on their roll after he buried his shot behind Ryan Manderson off a pass from Jassi Sangha.

The ‘Roos set out to get the point back, but the Stamps’ goalie Justin Foote was on his game, managing every shot on goal cleanly.

Three minutes later, however, the Stampeders’ Francis Johnson would collect a little more steam for the Williams Lake team, netting the Stampeders’ second goal with less than a minute left in the first.

The ‘Roos lead the Stampeders in shots on goal going out of the first, 14-10, but weren’t able to make any of those shots count.

Coming back in the second, the ‘Roos were ready to make some magic. Though they worked hard for the magic, it wouldn’t come.

Instead the Stampeders pillowed their lead with their third of the night, after David Gore put the puck behind Manderson less than a minute into the period.

The ‘Roos kept at it, including a couple breakaways that went nowhere, and a couple flubbed shots on an empty net.

Then, mid period, the ‘Roos found their groove and were promptly knocked out of it.

The referee disallowed the goal on account of a penalty call before the puck crossed the line.

Despite the setback, the ‘Roos lit out for Johnson and this time they made it stick.

Paul Girodat got the ‘Roos first and only goal at 7:45, assisted by Matt Powell.

A rumble around the halfway mark of the period had left both teams with a couple of game misconducts.

The Stampeders’ Tyler Fuller and Ryan Conlin five minute majors for fighting along with their game misconducts, while the ‘Roos’ Brayden Penner and Spencer Holmes took the same.

That bout calmed down the game through the last half of the second, without the puck finding the back of a goal through the second.

The ‘Roos continued to lead the game on shots on goal, now 25-18.

The third opened without much fanfare, goal-wise, though the playing was getting a more intense as time ticked away.

The third period stalemate continued on through the first half before the Stampeders broke it. Nathan Zurak put away the Stampeders’ fourth goal at 13:35.

The ‘Roos staged another rally, which was once again confounded by the referee. The ‘Roos had scored, but the ref insisted it was after the whistle.

The game then dissolved into more physical play, pitting the big players against each other.

Soon the physical play turned into a fight, with the Stampeders’ Brent McIsaac and the ‘Roos Justin Fulton each getting a game misconduct and a five minute major as a result.

With less than two minute left, the ‘Roos fell apart.

The Stampeders took advantage of the situation, with Francis Johnson netting a short handed goal and Jassi Sangha netting a power play goal to put the Stampeders up by five, at the game-ending score of 6-1.

The ‘Roos will be playing in front of a hometown audience this weekend for the first time in over a month and Kozak said he is looking forward to the chance to play in front of a house of ‘Roos fans once again.

The ‘Roos will be playing against Lac La Hache in an effort to close the gap between the teams and inch the ‘Roos into second place in their division.

The game starts at 7:30, this Saturday.