RECAP: Levis' 4-Goal Performance Leads G-Men Past Americans

RECAP: Levis’ 4-Goal Performance Leads G-Men Past Americans

Category: ArticleDecember 15, 2024

Langley, B.C. – Vancouver Giants forward Connor Levis recorded his first career four-goal game in a 5-1 win over the Tri-City Americans on Sunday afternoon at the Langley Events Centre.

The win brings Vancouver’s record back over .500, now sitting at 14-13-4, while the Americans fall to 19-8-2-1.

Giants goaltender Matthew Hutchison was stellar on Sunday as well, finishing with 35 saves on 36 shots for his eighth win of the season. Tyson Zimmer was the other Giants goal scorer.

Savin Virk had the lone goal for Tri-City.

CLICK FOR THE OFFICIAL WHL BOXSCORE | CLICK FOR STANDINGS

GAME SUMMARY

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the opening period, despite a couple power play opportunities for the Giants.

Early in the second, Tri-City drew first blood, when Surrey product Virk scored on the power play from the right circle.

Several minutes later, the Giants got the equalizer on a 5-on-3 power play, after Cameron Schmidt’s missed shot came off the end boards right to Levis, who went top shelf past goaltender Nathan Preston to tie the game 1-1.

YOUR GIANTS ARE ON THE BOARD WITH A POWER PLAY GOAL! 🚨

Connor Levis with his 10th of the season!!@TheWHL | @NHLJets pic.twitter.com/blqtgjq3cl

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) December 16, 2024

The game remained deadlocked until halfway through the third period, when Thorpe entered the Americans’ zone with speed down the left wing and centered the puck to Levis, who quickly snapped it home on the blocker side to give the Giants their first lead of the game.

A Tyler Thorpe pass, and Connor Levis buries it. You’ve got to love it.@WHLGiants | @NHLJets | #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/V354t7QsgR

— The WHL (@TheWHL) December 16, 2024

Just 2:46 later, Ty Halaburda caused a turnover off the stick of defenceman Jackson Smith as he was trying to leave his defensive zone, leading to an open chance in front for Zimmer, who just got enough on the shot to lift it past Preston for a 3-1 Giants advantage.

THE VET EXTENDS THE GIANTS LEAD TO 3-1!!

Tyson Zimmer with his 8th of the season! 🙌@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/rLInW6TqTu

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) December 16, 2024

Levis would deflect in Ethan Mittelsteadt’s point shot with under five minutes to go to complete the hat-trick, before adding an empty-net goal to make it a 5-1 thumping.

THEY SAID IT

“Certainly pleased with the kids. We had a pretty tough weekend with the trip to Victoria, back to back. With the travel day yesterday and the short turn around today, and the kids made a commitment today to leave everything out there and they did. Good win; solid win. Matthew Hutchison, so happy for him today. He was a difference maker. He made saves when we needed him to make saves today. That was huge for our club. We were able to carry momentum and we gutted one out. Very happy for the kids.” – Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros on the game overall

“Outside of the four goals tonight, which is certainly nice, but his complete game: he’s turned into a really complete player. That line [with Tyler Thorpe and Adam Titlbach] has been really good for us. That line was huge for us last weekend and again it was for us tonight too to get things going. Defensively – that’s where they create a lot of their chances, by being really good defensively first and they score a lot of goals off the rush on counter attacks. That’s a good lesson for our group here, is that if you defend first, defend clean and hard, you’re going to get a lot of chances at the other end. That line seems to be gelling.” Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros on Connor Levis and his line

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN — 10/10/10 = 30 | TC – 11/12/13 = 36
PP: VAN—1/6 | TC — 1/2
Face-Offs: VAN — 27 | TC — 33

3 STARS

1st: VAN – Connor Levis – 4G, 6 SOG, +3
2nd: VAN – Matthew Hutchison – 35 Saves on 36 Shots
3rd: VAN – Tyson Zimmer – 1G, 3 SOG, +1

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: WIN – Matthew Hutchison (35 saves / 36 shots)
Tri-City: LOSS – Nathan Preston (25 saves / 29 shots)

THIS AND THAT

Levis’ four-goal output was the most goals he has scored in a single game in his career. He had recorded four previous hat-tricks, including one this season on Oct. 19 vs. Prince Albert
Levis is now 2nd on Vancouver in scoring with 30 points (13G-17A). He has 10 points in his last five games (5G-5A)
Nine different Giants recorded a point in the win, including defenceman Ethan Mittelsteadt (1A), who now has seven points in 13 games (2G-5A) for Vancouver since being acquired from Kelowna on Nov. 15
Hutchison’s 35 saves are the second-most he has made in a game this season. It’s also the second time this year he has allowed only a single goal (also on Oct. 19 vs. P..A.)

UPCOMING

Date	Opponent	Time	Location
Friday, December 27	Kamloops	7:00 PM PST	Sandman Centre
Sunday, December 29	Kelowna	4:00 PM PST	Langley Events Centre
Tuesday, December 31	Victoria	2:05 PM PST	Save on Foods Memorial Centre

B.C. Division