For the second game in a row on home ice, the Portland Winterhawks fell to the Kelowna Rockets 7-2 in Western Hockey League action Thursday at the Memorial Coliseum.
The two teams traded goals in the first period. Paul Bittner and Ethan Price scored for Portland (25-10-2-2).
Kelowna (32-3-0-2) tied the game at 2-2 at 16:28 in the first period and then scored the next five goals for the win.
Kelowna outscored the Winterhawks 16-5 in its two games at Portland.
The Hawks were once again without Taylor Leier, Nic Petan and Derrick Pouliot, who are all representing Canada at the World Junior Championship, and Brendan Leipsic, who’s serving a suspension.
The Hawks travel to Kennewick on Friday to take on the Tri-City Americans, then return home Saturday to host the Victoria Royals at the Coliseum.
