Rockets make history to meet Blazers in second round

OVERTIME NEEDED TO BEAT T-BIRDS

The Kelowna Rockets defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-2 in overtime in game seven on Wednesday night at Prospera Place in Kelowna, winning its best of seven series with Seattle in thrilling fashion.

Tyson Baillie scored the winning goal at 5:10 of overtime, scoring his third goal of the game and seventh of the series to send the Rockets to the WHL's second round, which starts Saturday night in Kelowna against the Kamloops Blazers.

"It's every kids dream to play in game seven in the playoffs and you want to be the hero," said Baillie on the AM1150 post game show. "They scored with seven seconds left but we knew that we could do it. Words can't describe it. I kind of blacked out. It was crazy."

It looked like the Rockets would win the game in regulation until Seattle tied the score with just seven seconds remaining in the game as Luke Lockhart tied it at 2-2 and sent the game to overtime, the fifth overtime game the teams would play in the series.

But Baillie would end it when he one-timed a Madison Bowey pass into the net as the Rockets became just the second WHL team to ever come from down 3-0 in a best-of-seven series, equalling the 1996 Spokane Chiefs.

The Rockets now meet the Kamloops Blazers in the second round of the WHL playoffs beginning Saturday night at Prospera Place (7:05 p.m.). Game two is Sunday (5:05 p.m.)

Tickets are on sale online immediately. Buy Kelowna Rockets Tickets Here, charge by phone at 250-762-5050 or purchase them at the Prospera Place box office beginning Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m.