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Rookie Levis scores four times in 6-2 Kamloops win over Kelowna

Blazers triple Rockets, 6-2

Four power play goals from rookie forward Connor Levis lifted the Kamloops Blazers to a 6-2 win on Tuesday over the Kelowna Rockets in an empty Sandman Centre.

Montana Onyebuchi opened the scoring less than two minutes into the first period from Peyton McKenzie. A pair of goals from Levis and one from Inaki Bargano made it 4-0 after 20 minutes.

Kelowna’s David Cope made it a 4-1 game early in the second, but Levis restored the four-goal cushion at 13:55 of the third period.

Mark Liwiski’s short-handed goal with five minutes left made it a three-goal game before Levis’ fourth of the night at 15:42 made it a 6-2 final.

Four Blazers — Josh Pillar, Caedan Bankier, Connor Zary and Quinn Schmiemann — finished the game with two assists.

Kelowna goalie Cole Schwebius stopped 28 of 34 Kamloops shots in the loss. Kamloops’ Dylan Garand allowed two goals on 34 Rockets shots to earn the win in net.

Tuesday's game was the first between the Interior rivals since Jan. 11, 2020, when the Blazers thumped Kelowna 7-2 in front of 5,800 fans inside a pre-pandemic Prospera Place.

With the win, Kamloops improves to 8-2 in the WHL's B.C. Division bubble, tied with the Vancouver Giants atop the standings. The Rockets now sit at 3-2 thanks to their lengthy COVID-19 hiatus.

Kelowna will be back in action on Friday at Prospera Place, where they will take on the Prince George Cougars in a 7 p.m. face off.

Kamloops is slated to take on the Cougars on Thursday at Sandman Centre.



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