Cougars Take 3-0 Series Lead with 4-2 Win in Spokane

PHOTO: Larry Brunt

SPOKANE, WA – The Prince George Cougars have taken a commanding 3-0 series lead with a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs, Tuesday at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

Zac Funk led the Cougar offence with four points, including two goals and two assists. Josh Ravensbergen picked up his third win of the playoffs, making 26 saves.

GOALS:

1st Period

1-0 Chiefs at 12:30 – Hayden Paupanekis (2), assisted by Cameron Parr // Cameron Parr got the puck towards the front of the goal and the puck was eventually whacked in, out of mid-air, by Paupanekis to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead in the first period.

1-1 Cougars 17:30 – Zac Funk (1) (PP), assisted by Hudson Thornton and Riley Heidt // On a PG power-play, Riley Heidt won the faceoff back to Hudson Thornton who then fired a shot that was tipped in the slot by Zac Funk to knot the game at one.

2^nd PERIOD

2-1 Cougars at 5:40 – Borya Valis (2), assisted by Zac Funk and Ondrej Becher // The Cougars forced a turnover in the offensive zone and it resulted in a beautiful passing play and Borya Valis firing the puck into an open cage at the right wing to give PG the lead.

3-1 Cougars at 13:06 – Hudson Thornton (1) (PP), assisted by Zac Funk// On another Cougar power-play, Ben Bonni of Spokane broke his stick, which resulted in a flurry of Cougar chances that Cooper Michaluk initially stopped. The puck then found the stick of Hudson Thornton at the left circle, and he wired a wrist shot by the Spokane goaltender to make it 3-1.

3rd Period

4-1 Cougars at 5:59 –  Zac Funk (2) assisted by Ondrej Becher // Cooper Michaluk coughed up the puck behind the goal as Ondrej Becher took the puck away and spotted Zac Funk in front of the goal and buried his second of the game and the series.

 4-2 Cougars at 6:29 – Ty Chevaldayoff (1), assisted by Owen Martin and Ben Bonni // Shortly after the Funk goal, the Chiefs developed an odd-man rush as Owen Martin set up Chevaldayoff who netted his first of the series to cut the Cougars’ lead in half.

 FINAL SCORE:

PG: 4 SPO: 2

FINAL SHOTS:

PG: 33 SPO: 30

POWER-PLAYS:

PG: 2-3 SPO: 0-5

GOALTENDING:

PG: Joshua Ravensbergen – 60:00 – 28/30

SPO: Cooper Michaluk – 57:27 – 29/33

3 STARS:

1.PG: Zac Funk (2-2-4)

2.PG: Ondrej Becher (0-2-2)

3.SPO: Ty Chevaldayoff (1-0-1)

POST GAME INTERVIEW WITH ASSISTANT COACH CARTER RIGBY