Cougars Conclude Road Trip with 3-2 Setback in Langley
LANGLEY BC– The Prince George Cougars concluded their five-game road stint with a narrow 3-2 defeat against the Vancouver Giants, Friday at the Langley Events Centre. Despite a valiant effort, the Cougars fell short in a tightly contested matchup.
Contributing to the Cougar offence were Terik Parascak and Carlin Dezainde who showcased their offence with noteworthy performances. Goaltender Ty Young, who made 24 saves on 26 shots, was charged with the loss.
The Giants seized an early lead at 3:08, courtesy of Cameron Schmidt’s breakaway, marking his 15th goal of the season. Prince George rallied at 12:21, as Terik Parascak netted his 30th goal, tying Brett Connolly and Koehn Ziemmer for the franchise record of most goals scored in a single season by a Cougar rookie. The first period concluded with the score tied at one.
In the second period, the Giants regained the lead 2-1 with Samuel Honzek finding the back of the net at 12:50. However, the resilient Cougars equalized once more, with Carlin Dezainde capitalizing on a rebound at 16:06, assisted by Hudson Thornton, who became the franchise’s all-time assist leader among Cougar defensemen. Despite outshooting the Giants 14-8, the Cougars headed into the final frame deadlocked at two.
In a tense third period, the Cougars pressed forward, but were thwarted by the stellar play of 20-year-old netminder Brett Mirwald. The Giants surged ahead late in the period, with Logan Hammett’s point shot slipping past Ty Young at 16:33. Despite a late surge while short-handed, the Cougars were unable to level the score, falling short in a 3-2 loss.
Looking ahead, the Cougars set their sights on a matchup against the Kamloops Blazers at the CN Centre on Sunday, with puck drop scheduled for 2:00 pm.
FINAL SCORE:
PG: 2 VAN: 3
FINAL SHOTS:
PG: 38 VAN: 29
POWER-PLAYS:
PG: 1-4 VAN: 0-2
GOALTENDERS:
PG: Ty Young– 26/29 – 60:00
VAN: Brett Mirwald – 36-38 – 60:00
3 STARS:
1.VAN: Samuel Honzek (1-0-1)
2.PG: Carlin Dezainde (1-0-1)
3.VAN: Brett Mirwald (36 Saves)
POST GAME INTERVIEW WITH ASSISTANT COACH CARTER RIGBY
