pa Lenn ae bat

aN oid

“West Van's Lions.

But rebound i in playoff opener

FON ape Rita le

‘Gate: ‘Rockets had i injuries '

_added to insult $n their first road trip of the year,
seeing their 19 game undefeated streak: come to
an end in weekend losses to ‘Seattle, and in the
process lose the services of three key players —
_Paul Pattison, Jeff Durrant, and goaltender Randy
“Smith — all, possibly, for the rest of the season.
But in spite of the injuries, Rockets rebounded to

take their opening round playoff game against
North Shore Mountaineers.

In Saturday's opener,
which the Rockets dropped
8-1, Pattison suffered a
shoulder separation on. the
first shift of the game, and
then in the third period
Smith came out with an
apparent hamstring pull,

Durrant, who went down
late in the third period in the
Rockets’ Sunday 7-6 loss,
was hospitalized for knee
surgery upon his return from
Seattle.

But for the first period and

a half of Saturday's opener it
was anybody’s game.

The Ironmen nursed 4 1-0.

lead ‘throughout the first

period while being narrowly
-outshot 13-12,

then = stret-
ched their lead in the second
3-0 before Durrant put the
Rockets on the scoreboard
for his team's only Jonely
goal.

But. before the period
ended, the Ironmen popped
_in two quick goals,

‘American

‘remaining,
‘pumped in three unanswered

and -.
" added three more in the ,

third for.an 8-1-final..

On Sunday, the, Rockets
came gut flying, taking a 2-1
first period lead’on goals by
Brian Chatfield, and Al

‘Wilson, then stretching it to

5-2 in‘ the-sécond with Lions
Gate marksmen Bob Watt,
Jim’ Buhr ‘and: Dan Corrigan
finding the range,

The: two: teams traded
goals carly in the third frame
— Barry Mulvaney scoring
for the Rockets. and West
Van fully in control of the
play for most of the period.

But then the Rockets
apparently confused
liquid . measure
with hours, and stopped
playing four-fifths of the way
into the period. With less
than four minutes
‘the Ironmen

goals for the 7-6 win.
The Rockets: outshot the
Tronmen 45-42. with Glex

Rec Centre Tuesday night.

Luscombe and Grant Hebert
sharing the goaltending
assignment and turning ‘in
strong performances. for the
Rockets.

Seattle's weekend vic-
tories over the Rockets

evens the score at:two wins.”

apiece in their four en-
counters this season. .

And with the intense
rivalry that :has deyeloped

between’ the two teams the |
‘return. . ‘match’. ‘slated ‘for.
‘February 15 at) West Van—
‘Arena should produce one of

the best games of the year.

ROCKETS SMOTHER
MOUNTAINEERS

- West Van's, Lions Gate
‘Rockets drow’ first’ blood in
the opening, ‘game of the
Metro League's round robin

playoff series, slamming the

Mountaineers 10-2 at the

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

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