Vancouver Giants downed Brandon 3-1 Sunday afternoon, Jan. 19, in a game that saw Tyler Thorpe get one and Adam Titlbach score two before 4,222 at 91原创 Events Centre.
Giants thought they had the game's opening goal just over five minutes in on a power play, when Ty Halaburda swept a loose puck into the wide open net after some ruckus in the crease. After initially calling it a good call, the referees brought it back due to goaltender interference. To make matters worse, the Giants were given an extra minor penalty after some rough stuff following the goal, so their power play came to an end.
Just 11 seconds later, Thorpe would speed down the left wing during 4-on-4 play, blowing by everyone before snapping a shot past Carson Bjarnason to open the score (for real this time).
Giants head coach Manny Viveiros called it "kind of a strange game."
"We had a hard time getting any type of sustained pressure," Viveiros said.
"Penalties certainly played a part of it, it broke momentum and a little bit of rhythm with our group and then we got it back again. We weren't clicking as fluent as we wanted to be, but I liked how our kids found a way. These type of games here, ugly games so to speak, you have to find it, adapt throughout the course of the game. Really happy with the way they responded."
Brandon outshot Vancouver 32 to 20, but couldn鈥檛 get past goaltender Burke Hood.
Hood, who stopped 31 of those shots, was named first star of the game, while Thorpe was second and Titlbach was third.
Hood said going in, he aimed to keep his cool by going 'just another game.'
"Didn't want to put too many nerves on myself and ended up coming up with the win, which was great."
Wheat Kings' Marcus Nguyen got the visitors' only goal on a power play early in the second period after Thorpe and Titlbach has already put Vancouver ahead 2-0 in the first.
Titlbach got his second goal late in the third.
It was a reunion of sorts for Brandon native Hood, playing against former teammates Jaxon Jacobson, Easton Odut and Brady Turko.
The last time the two teams played was Jan. 6, 2024, when Vancouver shut out the Wheat Kings on the road 4-0 thanks to a 48-save shutout from Brett Mirwald.
Vancouver is now 6-1 in their last seven home games
Next up for the Giants, a Tuesday, Jan 21 visit to Kent, WA and a game against Seattle Thunderbirds.
