Vancouver Giants return to Washington State tonight

Aaron Obobaifo won’t likely forget Wednesday night, any time soon.

The rookie forward for the Vancouver Giants major junior hockey team scored his first Western Hockey league goal, and it turned out to be the only time all night anyone on his team found the back of the net.

In a visit down south, to Kennewick, Wash., the G-Men lost to the hosting Tri-City Americans 4-1.

With the loss, the Giants are now 5-7-1 this season.

In addition to Obobaifo’s notable feat on the ice Wednesday – where he “breathed life into the Giants” at 3:45 mark in the third period – teammate Matthew Edwards, who was playing in his first game of the season after returning from injury, also recorded an assist on the goal. Edwards also registered a fight in that game.

Meanwhile, scoring for the Americans was Jordan Gavin, who racked up two, and Jake Sloan and Deegan McMillan each earned a single.

CLICK FOR OFFICIAL WHL BOXSCORE

The only goal of the opening period was scored by Sloan off a crease scramble on the power play, 9:30 into the opening frame.

In the second, the Americans added to their lead after a backdoor feed from Max Curran to McMillan, who had an easy tap in to make it 2-0.

After 40 minutes, the score remained 2-0 for Tri-City, but Vancouver had the lead in shots on goal 22-17.

A big insurance marker was scored by the Americans 2:12 into the third period, when Gavin and Bell had a 2-on-2 that Gavin finished off with a quick release to make it 3-0.

But Calgary’s Obobaifo responded less than two minutes later by burying a kick pass from Edwards, getting the Giants on the board.

The Giants tried to push for the equalizer with the goalie pulled in the final two and a half minutes, but Tri-City found the empty net to make it 4-1.

Tallying shots on goal Vancouver’s Brett Mirwald made 20 saves out of 23 shots, while Tri-City’s netminder Lukas Matecha stopped all but one of 38 shots.

Next up, the Giants head back to Washington State again today (Friday, Nov. 3), this time to battle the Wenatchee Wild. Then, they’re back home to host Kamloops at Langley Events Centre Saturday. For the second time in six days, they take on the Blazers.

For tickets to any Vancouver Giants home games, people can CLICK HERE.

RECENT WITH VIDEO: Vancouver Giants take down Kamloops

and

Hockey Langley Langley Events Centre Vancouver Giants WHL