Cougars Fall 7-2 to Giants in Langley
LANGLEY, BC – This Family Day Monday wasn’t very fond to the Prince George Cougars as they dropped a 7-2 decision to the Vancouver Giants, Monday afternoon at the Langley Events Centre.
The Vancouver Giants wasted no time setting the tone, striking first at the 14:50 mark of the opening period. They controlled much of the play in the first 20 minutes, generating quality scoring chances and maintaining steady offensive pressure. Despite some pushback from the Cougars, the Giants carried their 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
In the second period, Vancouver continued to press and extended their lead with two quick goals. At 7:51, they capitalized, and just over three minutes later, at 11:07, they struck again to jump ahead 3-0. The Cougars, however, refused to go quietly. In the latter half of the period, they found some life when Ben Riche finished off a slick cross-ice feed from Borya Valis, netting his 30th goal of the season to put Prince George on the board. That tally injected some energy into the Cats’ bench, but through 40 minutes, the scoreboard still favoured the Giants 3-1.
The third period saw Vancouver re-establish their three-goal cushion early. Just 3:02 into the frame, they converted on a power-play opportunity, making it 4-1. The Cougars responded with a power-play goal of their own at 8:29, as Terik Parascak capitalized on a man-advantage to bring his team back within two. However, that would be as close as Prince George would get.
Vancouver put the game out of reach in the final half of the period, adding three more markers at 12:19, 13:47, and 19:52 to seal a convincing 7-2 victory. Despite flashes of offensive push from the Cougars, the Giants’ strong forecheck and opportunistic scoring proved too much to overcome.
Stats and Standouts…
• With two assists in the game, Borya Valis became the Cougars all-time single season points leader (67) among American born skaters. He surpasses alumnus Zach Pochiro (2013-14, 66 points).
• Terik Parascak‘s goal donates another $200 to the Honour House Society. He has now raised $4,600.
What’s Next?
Next Game: Friday, Feb. 21 at Victoria | 7:00 pm
Next Home Game: Tuesday, Feb. 25 vs Kelowna | 7:00 pm
