Game Preview | Round 2, Game 1 at PEN
PENTICTON, BC – The Prince George Cougars and Penticton Vees will begin their Western Conference Semi-Final tonight at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
When: Friday, April 10
Puck Drop: 7:00 pm
Prince George Cougars Roster Breakdown (Birth Year):
2005-born players (3) – Dumanski, Gizowski, Seitz
2006-born players (7) – Souch, Ashe, Parascak, Vaughan, Ravensbergen, Levshyn, Sobry
2007-born players (6) – Foster, Yakutsenak, Shurgot, Lajoie, Anisimov, Fisher
2008-born players (7) – Kozicky, Lemire, Finnegan, Cahill, Carels, Johnston, Funk
2009-born players (2) – Hajt, Wotherspoon
Penticton Vees Roster Breakdown (Birth Year):
2005-born players (4) – Stevenson, Danis, Evers, Birnie
2006-born players (12) – Alstead, Tastad, Drancak, Reyelts, McCallum, Wehmann, Valiant, Pederson, Petersen, Michaud, Johnson, Weber
2007-born players (3) – Stone, Norrie, Kvasnicka
2008-born players (4) – Burick, Milford, Alger-East, DeMars
Round 1:
- The Cougars showcased their ability to win in various ways during their six-game opening-round victory over the Spokane Chiefs.
- Josh Ravensbergen was stellar, Brock Souch finished tied for third among all Round 1 skaters with 11 points, while Kooper Gizowski and Terik Parascak owned with eight points each.
- The Cats power-play operated at an incredible rate, compiling nine goals on 17 opportunities which ranks first in the WHL (52.9%)
- With the victory, Prince George punched their ticket to the Western Conference Semi-Final for the third time in the last four seasons.
- “It was a hard series that had a little bit of everything,” said GM & Head Coach Mark Lamb. “Winning that series in six certainly wasn’t easy.”
Against the Vees:
- The Cougars defeated the Vees in the last meeting between the two clubs back at CN Centre in March which saw Brock Souch score the OT winner.
- Souch leads all Cougars in scoring against Penticton with eight
- In terms of special teams in the season series, the Cougars were 5/19, while the penalty-kill was 4/15
- “We’re excited,” said defenceman Carson Carels. “We have played some great hockey lately and we know we are going to have to turn it up a notch. We just need to keep focusing on our game and improve day-by-day and we can’t wait to get the second round going.”
In Goal:
- San Jose Sharks prospect Josh Ravensbergen owned a marvellous first-round, which saw him go 4-1-1.
- Ravensbergen owned two starts which saw him make 40 plus saves
- In Ravensbergen’s playoff career in the WHL, he owns 15 victories
- The North Vancouver, BC product was named a nominee for the WHL Goaltender of the Year
On the Other Side:
- The Penticton Vees enter Round 2 off the heels of a five-game series win over the Seattle Thunderbirds
- New York Islanders prospect Jacob Kvasnicka paced the Vees in points with nine (5-4-9)
- Penticton’s power-play through their first five games is operating at 26.3% (5-19) while the Penalty-Kill is currently 13/14 which is first in the WHL
- Goaltender Andrew Reyelts won all four games for Penticton in the first round
- Reyelts was named a nominee for the WHL goaltender of the Year
Where to Watch Every Road Playoff Game:
- You can watch every Cougars road playoff game for FREE on Victory +. You can also listen live on 94.3 The Goat. The pre-game show begins at 6:30 with play-by-play at 7:00 pm.
What’s Next After This Game:
- Next Game: Saturday, April 11 | Round 2, Game 2 at Penticton | 7:00 p.m. | South Okanagan Events Centre
- Next Home Game: Tuesday, April 14 | Round 2, Game 3 vs. Penticton | 7:00 p.m. | CN Centre | TICKETS
