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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Rockets Enter the Final Weekend of the Regular Season against the Giants

March 15, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Kelowna Rockets Defenceman Gordie Ballhorn crushes and opponent while Liam Kindree looks on
Kelowna Rockets Defenceman Gordie Ballhorn crushes and opponent while Liam Kindree looks on
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Marissa Baecker)

The Kelowna Rockets get set to take on the Vancouver Giants on Friday night in Langley for the first of a home-and-home to close out the regular season.

Having won their last three games, Rockets Head Coach Jason Smith says the team needs to stick to the basics to continue this success into the post season.

"Hard work, and commitment to doing the right thing for your team are going to earn us the results we want," said Smith. "Playing our game and the systems that we want with structure and detail are going to be the things that allow us to have success this weekend."

This will be the seventh of eight meetings between the two clubs. The first time they met was back on November 10th when Carsen Twarynski scored the winner in a 5-4 overtime victory on home ice. They met again eight days later in Langley but things went the other way for Kelowna, as Tyler Benson recorded two goals and an assist in a 6-1 thwart of the Rockets. Just six days after that Kelowna returned to Langley to face the Giants and earned redemption as Captain Cal Foote was a set-up man with two helpers in a 3-2 win. The Rockets and Giants didn't face off again until January 13th again in Langley, but this time James Malm pulled through for Vancouver notching a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory for the Giants. They met again on February 7th in Kelowna when the Rockets had big nights from Kole Lind(1G, 1A), Carsen Twarynski(1G, 1A), and Kyle Topping(2A) en route to a 4-1 win. Their most recent meeting was on Wednesday, March 7th, when the Giants visited the Rockets at the tail end of a 5-game losing skid for Kelowna. The Giants took advantage of the battered Rockets team, and despite two goals from Carsen Twarynski, Vancouver escaped with a 4-3 victory in overtime in Prospera Place. Friday and Saturday night are the final times these two teams will face off this regular season.

Kelowna enters Friday night with a 41-22-5-2 record giving them 89 points. With their win on Wednesday night against the Prince George Cougars, the Rockets clinched the B.C. Division title for the 7th time in franchise history (8th including West Division title in 2000). Kelowna has two games remaining, both against the third place Vancouver Giants. The Victoria Royals are in second in the division with 84 points, three ahead of the Giants. The Blazers sit fourth in the division with 63 points, ahead of the fifth place Prince George Cougars who round out the B.C. Division with 55 points.

On Saturday, St. Patrick's Day, the Rockets wrap up the regular season against the Giants on home ice. It's a special night as it's CIBC Game Night! The first 1000 fans into the building get a Percy Penguin doll to toss during the second intermission Percy Penguin Toss. The lucky fans that get to toss the penguins will throw them at the centre ice face off target and whoever is closest to the target will win $500 courtesy of CIBC! CIBC is also going to match the $500 and donate that amount to the Kelowna S.P.C.A. It's also Jersey Off the Back Night! Fans have been entering all year to win one of these fancy St. Patrick's Day themed jerseys sponsored by Bekins Moving & Storage! Winning fans will be given the jerseys following the game on Saturday night. Tickets for Saturday are available here: http://bit.ly/2Ii61Dv

The Rockets enter the 2018 WHL Playoffs for game one on Thursday and game two on Saturday at Prospera Place. Their opponent has yet to be determined as the Tri-City Americans and Seattle Thunderbirds battle for wild card positioning. Tickets are available now for games one and two now!

Tickets are available for Rockets home games through selectyourtickets.com, at the Prospera Place box office or by phone at 250-762-5050.

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Images from this story

Kelowna Rockets Defenceman Gordie Ballhorn crushes and opponent while Liam Kindree looks on
Kelowna Rockets Defenceman Gordie Ballhorn crushes and opponent while Liam Kindree looks on
(Marissa Baecker)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from March 15, 2018


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