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Exactly one week after being signed by the Winnipeg Ice, Liam Hughes got the chance to face his hometown team.
The Kelowna native made the most of it, making 32 saves on 33 shots and leading the Ice to a 3-1 win over the Rockets on home ice.
Hughes outdueled another former Seattle Thunderbirds goalie and Kelowna native, Cole Schwebius, in the crease, as the Rockets goalie was beaten three times on 27 shots.
Connor McClennon opened the scoring for the Ice with his 11th of the season with just under three minutes to play in the second period.
Early in the third, he scored his second of the night to double Winnipeg’s lead and a Jakin Smallwood goal would make is 3-0 a short time later.
Jake Lee would be the only Rocket to beat Hughes on the night, his third of the season, but that’s as close as Kelowna would come.
Grip it and rip it🏌️ pic.twitter.com/vLGmnUni3h
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) December 12, 2019
The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Rockets, who will try to get back in the win column when they roll into Regina to face the Pats on Friday night.
They’ll be forced to do so without four of their top offensive players.
Nolan Foote is at WJC Selection Camp, Dillon Hamaliuk is out indefinitely with an illness and both Kyle Topping and Liam Kindree remain on the sidelines with injuries.
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