After Saturday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Portland Winterhawks, Kelowna Rockets head coach Adam Foote was happy with how his team persevered to tie it up late in the game, sending it into overtime.

“We were very patient, played a smart game, got that goal and a big point,” Foote said.

Kelowna currently needs every point it can get as the team fends off the Kamloops Blazers for the last guaranteed play-off position in the B.C. Division.

So opening the scoring six minutes into Sunday’s rematch against the Winterhawks was exactly the start Foote and the Rockets were looking for.

Only a minute later, Leif Mattson extended the Rockets lead to two goals, after converting a cross-ice feed from Foote for his 22nd of the season.

In the second period, Portland finally got on the board to pull within one on a power play marker from the Hawks’ Josh Paterson.

Portland produced the only goal in the middle frame.  In the third period, Lassi Thomson teed one up on the man advantage to give Kelowna a 3-1 lead and some breathing room.

But the Hawks answered back with a power play marker of their own from Jake Gricius to make it 3-2, then added another goal to tie the game up at three.

It was a tie that didn’t last long, as just 15 seconds later, Dallon Wilton spotted the Rockets another lead. It was one they would defend to the end.

The Rockets hung on to win 4-3 over the Winterhawks, taking 3 out of a possible 4 points in back-to-back games with Portland.

It was thanks in part to the same perseverance the team showed Saturday night as well.

“What I loved was when they scored, we didn’t crumble. We didn’t jump out of structure. They sacrificed and had big blocks. They wanted that win so bad, so I feel like they are playing for each other,” Foote said.

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