Last-Second Magic Lifts Cougars to 14-Round Shootout Win
KAMLOOPS, BC – The Prince George Cougars did it again.
The Cats earned a thrilling, character victory Saturday night at the Sandman Centre, defeating the Kamloops Blazers 3-2 in a 14-round shootout.
Terik Parascak tied the game with just 5.6 seconds remaining in regulation, and Aiden Foster netted the shootout winner in Round 14 to seal the dramatic win. Kayden Lemire also scored for Prince George, while Josh Ravensbergen was outstanding once again, turning aside 32 of 34 shots.
Post-Game Audio – Assistant Coach Carter Rigby
Kamloops opened the scoring in the first period when Tommy Lafreniere found space in the right circle and wired a shot past Ravensbergen at the 8:29 mark to make it 1-0. The Cougars had two power-play opportunities in the frame but were unable to convert. The Blazers outshot Prince George 11-7 after 20 minutes.
The second period featured chances at both ends, but neither side could find the back of the net, and the score remained 1-0 through 40 minutes.
The third period, however, was anything but quiet.
Josh Evaschesen extended the Blazers’ lead to 2-0 at 10:24 with his 28th goal of the season. The Cougars responded quickly. At 12:21, Kayden Lemire buried his ninth of the year off a slick feed from Aiden Foster to cut the deficit to 2-1.
With time winding down, Prince George pulled Ravensbergen for the extra attacker and applied relentless pressure in the final two-plus minutes. Blazers goaltender Ivans Kufterins made several key stops to preserve the lead, but the Cougars would not be denied. A Carson Carels point shot was deftly redirected by Terik Parascak with just 5.6 seconds remaining, sending the game to overtime.
Overtime featured end-to-end action and numerous high-quality chances, but neither team could solve the opposing netminder, forcing a shootout.
The skills competition turned into a marathon.
In the second round, Dmitri Yakutsenak channeled his inner Nikita Kucherov, faking a shot and letting the puck slide off his stick to deceive Kufterins and give Prince George the edge. Evaschesen responded to keep Kamloops alive.
Round after round, both Ravensbergen and Kufterins stood tall. Finally, in the 14th round, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Aiden Foster delivered the winner, wiring a glove-side shot past Kufterins to secure a wild 3-2 victory.
“Junior hockey at its finest,” said Cougars Associate Coach Carter Rigby with a laugh. “Execution-wise, I honestly thought we were a bit off tonight. But we stuck with it. We worked, we competed, and our bench was great all night. Just junior hockey at its finest. I’m really happy for the boys.”
Next up, the Cougars visit the Penticton Vees on Monday, February 16th at 2:00 pm from the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Next Game: Monday, Feb. 16 at Penticton
Next Home Game: Friday, March 6 vs. Spokane | TICKETS
