RIMOUSKI, Que. – Mark Guggenberger knows two things: One, the Kelowna Rockets will compete for the Memorial Cup on Sunday. Two, that he‘ll be Kelowna‘s starting goaltender.
As for the rest, such as who the Rockets will play in the national final, history has yet to write those lines.
“It‘s been a long run so far,” Guggenberger said after the Rockets travelled to nearby Saint-Fabien to practice on Thursday.
“We‘re all excited for the last game and we couldn‘t have a bigger stage. This is everyone‘s dream, to play in the Memorial Cup final. We‘re all pretty excited, and we can‘t wait for the opportunity.”
Tonight, the Rockets will find out who they play, as the OHL champion Windsor Spitfires and QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs square off in the tournament semifinal. Game time is 4 p.m. PT (Sportsnet).
“We‘re all chomping at the bit; we really can‘t wait,” said Guggenberger, who is the tournament‘s leading goaltender in goals-against average at 2.33 and save percentage at .908.
“It‘s up in the air who we play, so we just gotta wait for our turn. It‘s definitely a feeling of relief, knowing that you‘re in the championship game and kinda waiting to see who we play.”
With two days to go before Sunday‘s 1:30 p.m. PT faceoff, Guggenberger said the team isn‘t trying to over-think the final.
The Rockets earned the berth on Monday after defeating Drummondville 6-4. The next night, Kelowna lost 2-1 to Windsor and finished with a 2-1 record.
“It‘s really important to try and treat it like just another game,” said Guggenberger. “I think, as a team, we‘ve kinda done that, and it shows with our record.”
Sunday‘s contest, however, isn‘t any normal game. It‘s the most pressure-packed contest of the season.
“No, it is a little bit more of an important game,” Guggenberger understated. “So far, it been a lot of fun.” Top of Page
