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Prince George locks up WHL BC Division title at expense of Kelowna Rockets

The Rockets lost 6-5 in the shootout to the Cougars and beat Vancouver in weekend games
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The Prince George Cougars locked up the WHL BC Division title for the 2023-2024 season with a 6-5 shootout win over the Kelowna Rockets at Prospera Place on Feb. 24, 2024. (Steve Dunsmoor/Kelowna Rockets photo)

A loss and a win for the Kelowna Rockets as they hosted Vancouver and Prince George at Prospera Place on Feb. 23 and 25.

The Rockets had a comeback win over the Giants Friday night.

Vancouver took a 1-0 lead late in the first period, but Kelowna allowed no shots on net in the second and scored four unanswered goals to win 4-1.

Andrew Cristall (34) scored a natural hat trick, two on the power play, with assists to Max Graham, Caden Price, Gabriel Szturc, and Carter Kowalyk.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 good it came like, so I含羞草研究社檒l take it,含羞草研究社 Cristall said after the game of his third hat trick of the season. 含羞草研究社淚 definitely wanted to come to the game and shoot a lot of pucks.含羞草研究社

Luke Schelter scored Kelowna含羞草研究社檚 fourth goal assisted by Hiroki Gojsic. The Rockets went 2/4 on the power play while Vancouver was 0/5.

On Saturday night, the Cougars clawed to a shootout win over the Rockets.

Tij Iginla (39) put Kelowna on the board halfway through the first period with assists to Gojsic and Szturc.

Prince George then reeled off three straight goals in the second period from Hudson Thornton and two from Zac Funk, each scoring once on the power play.

Iginla (40) netted his second of the game at 8:31 closing the gap to 3-2. Michael Cicek and Caden Price had the assists.

The Cougars含羞草研究社 Riley Heidt restored the two-goal lead just over five minutes later.

Kelowna closed the gap to 4-3 on a goal by Max Graham at 16:41 with Cristall and Ethan Mittelsteadt assisting.

Gojsic tied the game just under five minutes into the third period with the assists going to Kowalyk and Iginla.

Prince George went up 5-4 as Funk completed his hat trick, on the power play, at 17:09.

The Rockets would tie the game just 46 seconds later on Gojisc含羞草研究社檚 second goal of the game, assisted by Cicek and Iginla.

With no goals in overtime, Prince George would win it 6-5 in the shootout and lock up the BC Division title for the 2023-24 season. The Cougars含羞草研究社 Ondrej Becher was the lone goal scorer.

Prince George was 3/5 with the man advantage, while the Rockets power play went 0/3. The Cougars outshot Kelowna 41-31.

The game featured the Rockets wearing special theme Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles jerseys that are . Funds raised will support BC Children含羞草研究社檚 Hospital.

The Rockets含羞草研究社 record is now 26-28-3-1, seventh in the Western Conference, and their two next games are on the road, against the Vancouver Giants on March 1 and the TriCity Americans on March 2.

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Gary Barnes

About the Author: Gary Barnes

Journalist and broadcaster for three decades.
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