WHL completes Super Series sweep
r Marissa Baecker photo – Brandon McMillan of Team WHL.
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r Team WHL, with Kelowna Rockets players Brandon McMillan and Tyson Barrie in action, defeated Team Russia 4-2 Thursday night at Prospera Place, completing a six game sweep of the Subway Super Series.
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r McMillan was named Team WHL’s player of the game as the WHL outshot the Russians 39-18, dominating Team Russia for large stretches of play in front of 5,753 fans. Both nations were using the series as an evaluation tool with the World Junior tournament now a month away.
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r The Russians opened the scoring before second period goals by Saskatoon's Stefan Elliott, Linden Vey of Medicine Hat and McMillan gave the WHL all the scoring it would need.
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r A scrappy Team Russia made the game 3-2 in the third period before a late goal by Williee Coetzee cemented the win and the series sweep.
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r The highlight of the night was a standing ovation the packed house at Prospera Place gave retired fire chief Gerry Zimmermann when he was announced as the honorary captain of Team WHL. An emotional Zimmermann was given a Team WHL jersey by Rockets president Bruce Hamilton. Fans rose to their feet as Zimmermann was announced.
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r "All he kept saying to me was he couldn't believe this was happening," said Hamilton. "He's a humble, gracious guy. I thought it was a fitting tribute. He's a good message to everybody: He's a fighter that doesn't give up."
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r The WHL regular season kicks back into full swing Friday night with a full slate of games. The Rockets will head to Chilliwack and play the Bruins before hosting the Kootenay Ice on Saturday night at Prospera Place.
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r WHL 4 Russia 2
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r Scoring Summary
r 1st Period-
r 1, Team Russia, Gorechishnikov 1 (Guryanov, Golubev), 9:59.
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r 2nd Period-
r 2, Team WHL, Elliott 1 (Hamonic, Howden), 2:42 (pp).
r 3, Team WHL, Vey 1 (Kozun, McNabb), 6:21.
r 4, Team WHL, McMillan 1 (Stone), 9:18 (pp).
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r 3rd Period-
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r 5, Team Russia, Kitsyn 4 (Petrov), 5:50.
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r 6, Team WHL, Coetzee 1 17:28.
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r Shots on Goal-
r Team WHL 12-17-10-39.
r Team Russia 6-6-6-18.
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r Power Play Opportunities-
r Team WHL 2 of 6;
r Team Russia 0 of 3.
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r Att.-5,753
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