Vancouver Giants ended their regular season schedule with a close game, but came out on the wrong side of a 5-4 score Saturday night, March 25, in Kelowna.

Rockets jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Vancouver was able to bring the game back within 1 goal twice, but were unable to draw even or take a lead.

Kelowna’s Gabriel Szturc opened the scoring with a one-timer from the slot 7:58 into the game.

In the second period, Carson Golder made it 2-0 with a power play goal when he grabbed a rebound in a net front scrum 2:28 into the middle frame.

Then, Max Graham scored a shorthanded goal 4:44 later to stretch the Rockets lead to 3-0.

Giants ended their regular season schedule with a close game, but came out on the wrong side of a 5-4 score Saturday night, March 25, in Kelowna. Next, the playoffs. (Steve Dunsmoor/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Szturc netted his second of the game on a rush chance to make it 4-0 with 6:49 left in the second.

Julian Cull got the Giants on the board before the end of the period with a seeing-eye shot from the top of the right circle, with 0:51 left. Damian Palmieri, and Kyle Bochek had the assist.

In the third, Skyler Bruce cut the lead to 4-2 with a shoreside shot with 6:01 left in regulation. Justin Ivanusec assisted.

Ty Halaburda deflected a point shot in just 0:26 later to make it a one-goal game. Colton Roberts, and Jaden Lipinski assisted.

Kelowna’s Turner McMillen tipped home a goal of his own on the power play with 1:37 to go.

With the goaltender pulled, Colton Roberts scored on a wraparound to make it a 5-4 game with 0:40 remaining but that would conclude the scoring for the night. Jaden Lipinski, and Mazden Leslie assisted.

Giants ended their regular season schedule with a close game, but came out on the wrong side of a 5-4 score Saturday night, March 25, in Kelowna. Next, the playoffs. (Steve Dunsmoor/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Final Score: Vancouver 4 – Kelowna 5.

Kelowna outshot Vancouver 31-22.

Matthew Hutchison stopped 26 of those shots for Vancouver.

Next, the playoffs against Kamloops Blazers.

Game 1 goes Friday, March 31, at 7 p.m. at Sandman Centre in Kamloops, for the first of two back-to-back games on the road before returning to home ice and the Langley Events Centre on Tuesday, April 4. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

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