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Valley West grounds Okanagan Rockets' season

League-champion Hawks defeat Rockets in B.C. Major Midget League second-round series.

The Okanagan Rockets put up a fight but, in the end, didn't have the firepower to stay with the Valley West Hawks.

The B.C. Major Midget League's regular season champs downed the Rockets 6-4 on Sunday in Surrey to win the best-of-three semifinal series two games to one.

The Hawks won the series opener 6-2 on Friday, before the Rockets answered back with a solid effort and a 2-1 victory on Saturday.

Goaltender Cole Demers was the story for the Rockets, making a season-high 45 saves off Valley West.

On Sunday, the Hawks jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, forcing the Rockets to play catch-up the rest of the way.

After calling a time-out, the Rockets scored twice before the end of the first period to pull to within a goal at 3-2.

With the score 4-3 Valley West in the third, the Hawks put the game out of reach for good with a pair of quick goals, ending the Rockets' season.

"To our players, hold your heads high because you won and lost as champions," general manager Braeden Pistawka wrote in the Rockets' Twitter account.

Okanagan (23-12-5) finished fourth in the BCMML's regular season standings, then went on to sweep the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds in the opening round of the playoffs.