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Sports weekend preview: Rockets look to make it four straight, UBCO hosts Pride Night

17 games total are taking place over the weekend
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The Rockets host Vancouver on the second of a home-and-home on Saturday night (Photo credit - Steve Dunsmoor)

On this last weekend of January, Kelowna sports are in full swing with 17 games total over the next two days.

Here’s a weekend preview and update for all the Kelowna sports teams in season:

Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

It’s been a busy week for the Kelowna Rockets as they’ve already beat the Victoria Royals 4-3 twice on consecutive nights (Tuesday and Wednesday). This weekend is huge as they play a home-and-home against the Vancouver Giants. Tonight’s game is at the Langley Events Centre as the Rockets look to make it four wins in a row. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, the two teams complete the home-and-home at Prospera Centre. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m.

Going into tonight’s game, the Rockets are second in the B.C. division with a 20-10-1-3 record (44 points). The Giants are fourth in the division with a 16-18-2-0 record (34 points). Kelowna has struggled against Vancouver this season as they are 1-3-1-0 and have been outscored 24-15.

Milestone watch: Minnesota Wild prospect and Rockets leading scoring Pavel Novak is one assist away from 100 in his WHL career.

All Rockets games are available to watch on WHL Live on CHL TV at watch.CHL.ca or to listen to on 1550AM.

UBCO Heat

Tonight (Jan. 28), UBCO Athletics and Recreation is hosting its first Pride night during the UBCO men’s and women’s volleyball games. They welcome the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack to The Furnace (UBCO Gymnasium). The women play at 6 p.m. followed by the men at 8 p.m.

During Friday’s games, funds will be raised to support Etcetera, a local 2SLGBTQIA+ youth group. Its mission is to bring queer youth together in an intersectional, dynamic, and supportive space. UBCO’s Equity and Inclusion Office will have a booth set up to give away stickers, pronoun pins and info on how to get involved in the different pride-related activities on campus.

Saturday’s game times are 3 p.m. for the women and 5 p.m. for the men.

Going into the weekend, the men’s games are not just meaningful in the standings but for the President’s Cup. The President’s Cup is a competition every season between UBCO and TRU where the university with best record over multiple sports (volleyball, basketball and soccer) takes home. TRU is 4-2-1 and a win on Friday night will clinch the cup. The UBCO men can win the cup if they sweep TRU this weekend because the tiebreaker falls in their favour. Overall, the men are 4-4 on the season and sit third in the USPORTS west standings.

The UBCO women have already clinched the President’s Cup. Overall, they are 5-1 on the season and tied for first in the USPORTS west division with Trinity Western. This weekend is their first action since the first weekend of December.

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Volleyball isn’t the only Heat sport in action as the men and women’s basketball teams are in Langley to take on the Trinity Western Spartans. On Friday night, the women play at 6 p.m while the men play at 8 p.m. Saturday’s games are 3 p.m. for the women and 5 p.m. for the men.

The women are 6-7 on the season. Trinity Western is a tough task as they lead the west with a 10-2 record. The men look to get back in the win column as they are 1-9 on the year.

OC Coyotes

The Coyotes men’s and women’s basketball teams are also hitting the court this weekend. They welcome the Vancouver Island University Mariners to town. The women play at 6 p.m. on tonight (Friday) while the men start at 8 p.m. It’s an afternoon affair on Saturday as the women tip off 12 p.m. and the men at 2 p.m. After starting 0-2, the women have won four in a row and sit fifth in the CanWest standings. The men are 1-5 on the season and sit sixth in the CanWest standings. Both the men’s and the women’s VIU teams are 10-0 this season.

West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL)

After beating Wenatchee and losing to Cranbrook last week, the West Kelowna Warriors welcome the Trail Smoke Eaters to town on Saturday night (Jan.29). Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at the Royal LePage Place. West Kelowna sits fourth in the Interior standings with a 21-13-0-0 record. Trail is 15-14-1-1, sixth in the Interior.

Kelowna Chiefs (KIJHL)

The Chiefs are playing a home-and-home with the Summerland Steam. Kelowna hosts Friday night’s game at the Kelowna-Rutland Arena with puck drop at 7 p.m. Saturday’s puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Summerland Arena. Kelowna (19-11-2-0) and Summerland (17-11-1-1) sit second and third in the Bill Ohlhausen Division.

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@cunninghamjordy
jordy.cunningham@kelownacapnews.ca

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Jordy Cunningham

About the Author: Jordy Cunningham

Hailing from Ladner, B.C., I have been passionate about sports, especially baseball, since I was young. In 2018, I graduated from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops with a Bachelor of Journalism degree
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