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Rockets drop rival Royals for fourth straight win

Kole Lind gets four points, Rodney Southam and Calvin Thurkauf score twice each in Kelowna's win Wednesday night over Victoria
Victoria Royals v Kelowna Rockets
Captain Rodney Southam (right) scored twice on the power play in the Kelowna Rockets win over rival Victoria on Wednesday night at Prospera Place.


For the first 10 games of the Western Hockey League season, goals were an elusive commodity for the Kelowna Rockets.

Not so in the last four.

Kole Lind had a goal and three assists, and Rodney Southam and Calvin Thurkauf each scored twice as the Rockets downed the B.C. Division-rival Victoria Royals 6-4 Wednesday night at Prospera Place.

The Rockets have scored 19 times in the course a four-game winning streak, equalling their output from the first 10 games of 2016-17.

What had been an ailing Rockets power play early in the season struck three times against the Royals, two of them coming from captain Rodney Southam.

Rockets' head coach Jason Smith said his club executed well with the man advantage.

"I think the big thing is we got the puck to the net," Smith told AM 1150's Regan Bartel. "We moved the puck with a purpose. The passing execution was better, we moved the puck around and created some opportunities. When you get the puck and get people to the net for the second, third and fourth opportunities, they usually end up in the net."

The Rockets (7-7-0) will head to Portland this weekend for a doubleheader with the Winterhawks. The teams will meet Friday and Saturday nights at the Moda Center.