RECAP: Giants Get 2 Goals Each from Sparks, Levis, Titlbach in Win Over Cougars

Category: ArticleFebruary 17, 2025

Langley, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants played one of their most complete games of the season on Monday afternoon at the Langley Events Centre, defeating the Prince George Cougars 7-2 in a game where they never trailed.

The win improves Vancouver’s record this season to 27-21-6, while Prince George falls to 31-17-4-2 on the season. The Giants are now 18-9-2-0 on home ice.

The Giants had a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes and proceeded to score four goals in the final period.

Tyus Sparks delivered a strong performance with his first career two-goal game, while Adam Titlbach and Connor Levis also each scored twice. Captain Mazden Leslie scored a power play goal as well. Burke Hood stopped 32 of the 34 shots he faced for his third consecutive win.

Ben Riche and Terik Parascak scored for Prince George.

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GAME SUMMARY

Sparks opened the scoring on a 1-on-2, when he snapped a shot from the high slot past the blocker of goaltender Cooper Michaluk.

16-year-old Tyus Sparks opens the scoring with his 6th of the season!@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/JyXg61qG9P

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) February 17, 2025

Titlbach and Levis would score less than four minutes apart midway through the second period to extend the Giants lead to 3-0.

ADAM TITLBACH STAYS HOT!!!!! 🔥🔥
Adam with his 22nd of the season, 2-0 us!@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/c1RtZKv37U

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) February 17, 2025

Riche scored for the Cougars late in the second on a 2-on-1 to make it 3-1 after 40 minutes.

Leslie put home a rebound from the left circle after Cameron Schmidt was stopped on a power play early in the third to make it 4-1 for Vancouver.

CAPTAIN MAZDEN LESLIE!!!! 🫡

With this power play goal, it’s now a 4-1 game!@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/YRzpqwGTUY

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) February 18, 2025

Parascak got one back on a Prince George power play, but that’s when the Giants pulled away.

Schmidt made a fantastic pass off the rush that created an odd-numbered situation in front of the Cougars net, with Brett Olson one-touching the puck for an uncovered Sparks, who netted his seventh goal of the season.

This kid’s a big deal.

Tyus Sparks with his second of the night! 🔥🔥@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/klp3uDSnOq

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) February 18, 2025

Levis would score his 20th goal of the season just 1:28 later to make it 6-2.

Titlbach scored his second of the game in the final 10 seconds to make the final score 7-2.

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN —9/15/15 = 39 | PG –5/12/17 = 34
PP: VAN—1/5 | PG — 1/5
Face-Offs: VAN — 37 | PG — 32

3 STARS

1st: VAN – Tyus Sparks – 2G, 2 SOG, +2
2nd: VAN – Burke Hood – 32 Saves on 34 Shots
3rd: VAN – Adam Titlbach – 2G, 2A, 5 SOG, +4

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: WIN – Burke Hood (32 saves / 34 shots)
Prince George: LOSS – Cooper Michaluk (32 saves / 39 shots)

THEY SAID IT

“[Today] I thought was great. We had a couple huge blocks in the third. The team came to battle from the start, which is great. It’s what we need to do to win. Hopefully we continue this…It’s always more fun when you’ve got that fan base and that electricity in the crowd.” – Giants Goaltender Burke Hood

“I’m very proud of Burke’s progress right from day one this season, at the beginning of the season. He’s a goalie who has spent a lot of time succeeding the last few years, well before he got to us. It’s going to plan. It’s not as much me; it’s him. It’s the performer, it’s the artist, it’s not the coach. He’s very coachable. He listens. He is enormously talented. He’s focused. He’s mature for his age. And there’s lots more to go here; there’s lots more upside. And that’s not to say that we won’t see blips in the road too of course. He’s 17-years-old.” – Giants Goaltending Coach Paul Fricker

“I thought today we were in complete control of the game. I think Burke [Hood] was very good. And I think that some ill-timed penalties from us at times gave them life. But for the most part I liked us a lot tonight. I liked us across the board.” – Giants Goaltending Coach Paul Fricker

THIS AND THAT

It was Sparks first career two-goal game. Sparks has five points in his last seven games, after putting up eight in his first 33 contests
With 2G and 2A, Titlbach recorded his first career four-point game, while also reaching 40 points on the season. The forward has six goals in his last seven games
With a goal, Levis reached the 20-goal mark for the third consecutive season (24 last season; 27 the year prior). Levis has 96 career goals
With a goal, Leslie increased his point streak to five games (4G-5A). The defenceman now has 28 points in his last 18 games (9G-19A)
Hood is 3-0 in his last three starts with a .932 SV%. Hood holds a 9-5-2 record since Dec. 31

UPCOMING

Date	Opponent	Time	Location
Friday, February 21	Kelowna	7:05 PM PST	Prospera Place
Saturday, February 22	Kelowna	7:00 PM PST	Langley Events Centre
Sunday, February 23	Wenatchee	4:00 PM PST	Town Toyota Center