
The Vancouver Giants waited until almost the last possible second to secure a come-from-behind win over the visiting Kelowna Rockets Friday night.
Tied at 2-2 with scant seconds remaining on the clock, the Giants had the puck along the left wing boards. It was worked down to Ty Thorpe worked out of the corner and slid a pass to a charging Samuel Honzek who slammed home the winner with less than two second remaining on the clock.
hello hello hi that's our guy honzoooooooooo! https://t.co/7OdDw2FD21
— X - Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) March 25, 2023
It was Honzek's second goal of the game capping a wild third period comeback.
The Rockets held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before Hoznek and the Giants found a way in the third.
Honzek tied it with a power play goal five minutes into the final period, setting the stage for the winner.
After a scoreless first, Andrew Cristall got the Rockets on the board 4:31 into the second. Marek Rocek started the play with a long bank pass from near his own goal line that hit Cristall in stride at the Giants blueline.
With a defender draped all over him, Cristall was able to somehow get to his backhand and lift the puck over Brett Mirwald's outstretched pad.
After the Giants tied it, Cristall helped set up Kayden Longley's first career WHL goal.
Longley worked the puck to Cristall from behind the Giants net. Cristall took a few whacks at the puck before Longley, who had taken up a position at the far post, banged home the loose puck.
Kayden Longley sneaks in from behind the net to notch his first career WHL goal in just his seventh game with the Rockets.
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) March 25, 2023
Not bad for the second-last pick in the 2021 Prospects Draft, hey @CSSHL/@NAXHockey? pic.twitter.com/KlebzJ3GSC
It was his first career point in his seventh game since being called up due to injuries.
Talyn Boyko stopped 17 shots in the loss.
The Rockets will wrap up the regular season Saturday night when they entertain the same Giants before opening up the post season a week Friday in Seattle.