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VIDEO: Giants record shutout over Kelowna

G-Men beat Rockets 2-0 on home ice at 91原创 Events Centre Saturday, rematch same place next Friday
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Ty Thorpe, another 6-foot right-handed Prairie boy, supplied the other goal for the G-Men Saturday against the Kelowna Rockets. (Rob Wilton/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)

Put the puck on goal and good things are bound to happen: Justin Lies proved that hockey cliche correct on Saturday night.

With the game scoreless at the midway point and the teams playing four skaters aside, Lies gathered a loose puck and skated into the slot and let a snapshot go, beating Kelowna Rockets鈥 goaltender Colby Knight for a 1-0 Vancouver Giants advantage.

The goal stood up as the winner with Vancouver skating to a 2-0 win in Western Hockey League action over the visiting Rockets at 91原创 Events Centre.

鈥淚 just walked out to the slot and tried to get it on net and got lucky and it actually went in,鈥 Lies said of describing the game-winning goal.

With Kelowna pushing for the equalizer, the Giants held firm in their own end and Ty Thorpe was able to double the lead with less than 10 minutes to go in the hockey game.

The win snapped a two-game slide for the Giants as the team improved to 3-2-0-0 while Kelowna saw their record fall to 2-2-0-0.

RELATED: Giants prepare to take on Rockets on home ice Saturday

Vancouver was coming off a 7-4 loss the night before in Kamloops to the red-hot Kamloops Blazers, the second straight time the Giants fell to the B.C. Division leaders. The Blazers had won 5-0 on Oct. 16.

READ MORE: Blazers down Giants 5-0

Friday鈥檚 game saw Kamloops score three times in 48 seconds in the opening period and they lead 6-1 early in the third period. The Giants were able to make a game of it, cutting the lead down to two before the Blazers added an empty-net goal.

Lies said the team was able to use that strong final 20 minutes the night before and carry that over to Saturday鈥檚 contest.

鈥淲e just wanted to get some rhythm and try to get some momentum heading into tonight,鈥 he said.

It鈥檚 an assessment shared by Giants coach Michael Dyck.

鈥淭he third period we had last night in Kamloops was a great segway into how we wanted to start the hockey game,鈥 the coach said.

This was also the first time this season Vancouver has played twice in the same week as they have played just five games during the first three weeks.

鈥淲e talked about rhythm over rest. Kelowna has been waiting for us for over a week and there is nothing like playing games. We can teach just through playing games from one game to the next,鈥 Dyck said.

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GAME NOTES

The Giants penalty kill had surrendered four goals in 11 opportunities over the last two games to Kamloops but came up perfect on Saturday, only taking three minor penalties against the Rockets and killing all three.

Jesper Vikman made 23 saves for the Giants for his second shutout of the season and was the first star of the game. Thorpe and Lies were second and third stars, respectively.

While Vancouver played the night before, Kelowna had been off since Oct. 15.

This was the first of three straight meetings between the B.C. division rivals as they play back at 91原创 Events Centre on Friday, then play a third straight in Kelowna on Wednesday, Nov. 3.

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PLAY BY THE NUMBERS

1st period

Shots: 10-7 Kelowna

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2nd period

VAN 鈥 At 8:26, Justin Lies opened the scoring off a shot from the high slot with the teams skating four-on-four. Lies鈥 second of the season was unassisted.

Shots: 11-8 Vancouver

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3rd period

Mid-way through the final frame, Ty Thorpe provided the Giants with some insurance when he pounced on a loose puck and snapped show past Colby Knight. Thorpe鈥檚 third goal of the season was set up by both Payton Mount and Adam Hall.

Shots: 11-5 Vancouver

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Final Score: Vancouver 2 鈥 Kelowna 0

Final Shots: 29-23 Vancouver

Jesper Vikman: 23/23 saves for Vancouver

Colby Knight: 27/29 saves for Kelowna

Vancouver power play: 0/5

Kelowna power play: 0/3

3 Stars: 1) Jesper Vikman (VAN) 鈥 23 Saves, Shutout; 2) Ty Thorpe (VAN) 鈥 1G, +1; and 3) Justin Lies (VAN) 鈥 1G, GWG

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Is there more to the story? Email: news@langleyadvancetimes.com
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Adam Hall, the #12 forward from Edmonton, helped set up the third-period goal by the Giants, securing a 2-0 victory over the Rockets at LEC Saturday night. (Rob Wilton/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)
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Ty Thorpe, another 6-foot right-handed Prairie boy, supplied the other goal for the G-Men Saturday against the Kelowna Rockets. (Rob Wilton/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)
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Vancouver Giants kept the Rockets from scoring Saturday, securing a 2-0 triumph over the Kelowna team. It鈥檚 the first of three games in a row between these rival teams. Next game Friday at LEC. (Gary Ahuja-LEC/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)
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Vancouver Giants kept the Rockets from scoring Saturday, securing a 2-0 triumph over the Kelowna team. It鈥檚 the first of three games in a row between these rival teams. Next game Friday at LEC. (Gary Ahuja-LEC/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)
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Vancouver Giants kept the Rockets from scoring Saturday, securing a 2-0 triumph over the Kelowna team. It鈥檚 the first of three games in a row between these rival teams. Next game Friday at LEC. (Gary Ahuja-LEC/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)
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Vancouver Giants kept the Rockets from scoring Saturday, securing a 2-0 triumph over the Kelowna team. It鈥檚 the first of three games in a row between these rival teams. Next game Friday at LEC. (Gary Ahuja-LEC/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)
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Vancouver Giants kept the Rockets from scoring Saturday, securing a 2-0 triumph over the Kelowna team. It鈥檚 the first of three games in a row between these rival teams. Next game Friday at LEC. (Gary Ahuja-LEC/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)


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