RECAP: Five Different Giants Score in 5-2 Win Over Thunderbirds

Category: ArticleMarch 3, 2024

PHOTO BY: ROB WILTON

Langley, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants salvaged their weekend with a 5-2 win on Sunday afternoon over the Seattle Thunderbirds in front of over 4,500 fans at the Langley Events Centre.

Vancouver finished the weekend by grabbing three of a possible six points.

Sunday’s win improves the Giants’ overall record to 29-27-4-0 (62 points), which is two points ahead of the Kelowna Rockets for sixth place in the Western Conference Standings. Vancouver is three points back of the fifth place Victoria Royals – with a game in hand – and three points away from clinching a playoff spot, as mathematically the most points Tri-City can get is 65 (they are in 9th place).

Five different players scored for the Giants in the win: Ty Halaburda (19th), Tyson Zimmer (21st), Aaron Obobaifo (6th), Connor Levis (20th) and Cameron Schmidt (24th). Brett Mirwald stopped 25 of 27 for his 26th win of the season, which is tied for 2nd amongst all WHL goaltenders.

Jordan Gustafson and Eric Alarie had the goals for the Thunderbirds.

CLICK FOR THE OFFICIAL WHL BOXSCORE

GAME SUMMARY

After a tentative start from both sides, the Giants opened the scoring on their first shot, after Schmidt found Halaburda at the side of the net for the redirect.

Lipper -> Schmidty -> Burd 🚨#GiantNewEra https://t.co/VKtLlWQFb6 pic.twitter.com/Q8o0S3v4VG

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) March 4, 2024

Seattle tied it late in the first when Gustafson’s shot from the slot beat Mirwald five-hole.

After one period, the game was tied 1-1.

Vancouver struck twice within a span of 2:39 midway through the second period to take control of the game.

First, Sam Honzek fed a cross-ice pass to Tyson Zimmer through the neutral zone, leading to a 1-on-1 down the right wing for Zimmer, who beat Scott Ratzlaff with a clean snap shot from the right dot for his 21st of the season.

Well, that was money! 🎯
Tyson Zimmer with his 21st of the season.

2-1 VAN | 2nd 11:07#GiantNewEra pic.twitter.com/Vbepi7W4jJ

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) March 4, 2024

Then, good work along the wall from Obobaifo and Gronick led to a point shot from Colton Alain that deflected off Obobaifo and went in, extending the Giants’ lead to 3-1.

Aaron Obobaifo redirects it into the net! 🤓

3-1 VAN | 13:26 2nd#GiantNewEra pic.twitter.com/LuGdFEX5EG

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) March 4, 2024

Just over two minutes into the third period, Levis one-timed home a pass from Lipinski on the power play for his 20th of the season, putting Vancouver comfortably ahead 4-1.

Schmidt would add an empty-net goal to make it 5-1, before Seattle got a late goal with the extra attacker to make the final score 5-2.

THEY SAID IT

“Tonight was good push back from the guys. There was buy-in right from the start and I think that was the biggest difference. We didn’t start probably as well as we wanted to, but we started better than the previous two games, so that set us off on the right foot tonight…I think patience played a key into [tonight]. You never want to chase the game. I thought tonight we did a pretty good job of not trying to force plays, of letting plays develop and that was a difference maker.” – Video & Skills Coach Kayden Jarvis

“It was a very long weekend for us. It’s always good when we can continue competing, especially at the end of a 3-in-3, so really proud of everybody.” – Giants Forward Connor Levis

CLICK BELOW FOR THE FULL POST-GAME INTERVIEW WITH VIDEO COACH KAYDEN JARVIS AS HEARD ON SPORTSNET 650

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN — 7/15/8 = 30 | SEA – 9/6/12 = 27
PP: VANV—1/4 | SEA — 1/4
Face-Offs: VAN — 39 | SEA — 33

3 STARS

1st: VAN – Jaden Lipinski – 3A, 1 SOG, +2
2nd: VAN – Connor Levis – 1G, 5 SOG, +1
3rd: VAN – Tyson Zimmer – 1G, 1A, 2 SOG