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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Rockets Fall 5-2 To Prince George

October 3, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Brett Calhoon of the Kelowna Rockets (left)
Brett Calhoon of the Kelowna Rockets (left)
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

The Kelowna Rockets took a 2-1 second period lead, but fell 5-2 to the Prince George Cougars Wednesday night at Prospera Place.

Wednesday's game saw Tij Iginla make his season debut, picking up his first goal of the year and Michael Cicek also continued his hot start to the season, scoring his third goal in as many games against the Cougars.

GAME SUMMARY

Prince George would open the scoring in the game as freshly returned Riley Heidt, who spent the last few weeks with the NHL's Minnesota Wild, fired a shot and beat Jari Kykkanen five hole to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead.

The Rockets would own the majority of play in the second period as a Hiroki Gojsic blocked shot bounced to Tij Iginla in the neutral zone and he sprung in on a partial breakaway and beat Cougars goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen with a perfectly placed shot glove side to knot the game up at one. Kelowna would take the lead a few minutes later as Michael Cicek dished the puck to Gojsic just inside the blue line and drove the net, tapping in Gojsic's rebound to put the Rockets ahead by one after 40 minutes of play.

Tarik Parascak tied the game 3:43 into the third period, and the Cougars would get another goal from Parascak and one from Carlin Dezainde, his fourth of the year, to go ahead by two. Kelowna would pull Kykkanen for the extra attacker but it was Matteo Danis who scored when he found the empty net to give the Cougars a 5-2 victory.

ADDITIONAL STATS

Kelowna outshot Prince George 29-26

The Cougars went 1/2 on the power play while Kelowna didn't get a power play opportunity

Jari Kykkanen made 21 saves on 25 shots

Tij Iginla scored his first goal of the season in his 2024-25 season debut

UP NEXT

Kelowna will now hit the road for a pair of games in the United States. The Rockets will begin their short trip in Spokane against the Chiefs on Friday, October 4 before heading off to Tri-City the following night to take on the Americans. Kelowna's next home game will be on Friday, October 11 when they host the Portland Winterhawks in the Canadian Cancer Night.

Tickets can be purchased online at selectyourtickets.com, by calling Select Your Tickets at 250-762-5050 or by visiting the Select Your Tickets box office at the Prospera Place box office. The box office is open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and opens at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday home game days.

Check out the Kelowna Rockets Statistics




Images from this story

Brett Calhoon of the Kelowna Rockets (left)
Brett Calhoon of the Kelowna Rockets (left)
(Steve Dunsmoor)		   

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 3, 2024


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