Rockets drop high-scoring tilt in Brandon

The Kelowna Rockets fell 7-4 to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday night in Brandon.

Stelio Mattheos opened the scoring for the hosts just 31 seconds into the first period. Rockets rookie Ted Brennan responded for Kelowna at 2:57 for his first career WHL goal.

Evan Weinger pulled the Wheat Kings ahead at 14:46, but Nolan Foote tied it 2-2 on a Rockets power play late in the frame to round out the first-period scoring.

Dillon Dube, with his 18th goal of the season, gave Kelowna its first lead at 9:40 of the middle stanza, but Ty Lewis quickly responded for Brandon and then Cole Reinhardt scored a power-play marker to put the Wheat Kings up 4-3 at 14:08.

Following that goal, Roman Basran entered in relief of James Porter for the second night in a row after the Rockets rallied for a 7-5 win in Regina on Friday.

The Wheat Kings didn’t let up on Basran, with Lewis scoring his second of the period on another Wheat Kings power play to extend Brandon’s lead to 5-3 through 40 minutes.

Kole Lind, with his 13th, capitalized on a power play at 12:52 of the third period to bring the Rockets back within one at 5-4.

That’s as close as Kelowna would come, though, with Linden McCorrister restoring Brandon’s two-goal lead at 16:52.

The Rockets got Basran to the bench for an extra attacker, but Wheat Kings captain Tanner Kaspick scored into the empty net to seal a 7-4 victory for Brandon.

Porter’s record fell to 12-5-2-0 after stopping 7-of-11 shots. Basran stopped 12 of 14 as the Rockets outshot the Wheat Kings 40-26. Kelowna’s record fell to 18-9-2-1. The Rockets continue their six-game road trip through the Prairies on Tuesday in Moose Jaw against the Warriors. Kelowna also visits the Swift Current Broncos on Wednesday, Prince Albert Raiders on Friday and Saskatoon Blades on Saturday to close out the pre-Christmas schedule.

Following the WHL’s holiday break, the Rockets will host the rival Kamloops Blazers on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at Prospera Place.