Vancouver Giants forward Cameron Schmidt scored his fifth career hat-trick on Sunday to help the Giants to a 7-3 win over the visiting Kamloops Blazers at Langley Events Centre.
Vancouver took control of the game in the second period, where they stretched a 2-1 lead to 5-1, before adding two third period goals.
Giants Head Coach Parker Burgess called it “a statement win.”
We decided as a group that we wanted to play winning hockey,” Burgess commented.
“It takes selflessness, discipline, consistency and tonight, I thought our first period, we were a little bit loose. We were playing hope-to-win hockey, which we’ve done too many times in the first half, where if it goes our way with trading chances and power plays and things like that, then we’ll be on the right side of it.”
Vancouver is now a perfect 5-0-0 in Sunday home games.
Colton Gerrior, Aaron Obobaifo, Jakob Oreskovic and Tyus Sparks each found the back of the net for the Giants in addition to Schmidt. Ty Halaburda registered three assists and was a career-high +5 in the game. Halaburda now has 218 career points in a Giants uniform, which is tied with Ty Ronning for fourth all-time.
Kamloops got goals from JP Hurlbert, Owen Cooper and Asher Gingras.
Schmidt opened the scoring 95 seconds in off a rebound from a Halaburda shot.
Hurlbert tied the game midway through the first period on a power play when he scored from the left circle.
Gerrior got the Giants the lead back late in the first when he shovelled a rebound past Logan Edmonstone over the glove.
Schmidt made it a 3-1 game early in the second period when he sniped on the blocker side from the high slot off the rush.
He completed the hat-trick five minutes later on a breakaway after Halaburda blocked a shot and sprung him free and clear.
Obobaifo scored on a wrap-around before the second period was done to make it 5-1 after 40 minutes.
Cooper cut into the Giants lead early in the third to make it 5-2, but Oreskovic responded 28 seconds later to restore the four-goal advantage.
Sparks blasted home a one-timer on the power play for the Giants seventh goal of the game at the 6:11 mark of the third period.
With 1:14 left in the game, Gingras scored his first career goal for Kamloops, making the final score 7-3.
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