Cougars Fall 5-2 In Kamloops.
Friday night in Kamloops, the Prince George Cougars dropped a 5-2 score to the Kamloops Blazers. Logan McVeigh broke open a 2-2 tie just 27 seconds into the third period to help lift the Blazers to victory. Josh Connolly paced the Blazers with four assists while McVeigh chipped in with a goal and an assist. Jansen Harkins factored in on both Cougar goals, scoring once and adding an assist.
93 seconds into the game, Kamloops got on the board first when Deven Sideroff pounced on a loose puck in the goal mouth area and tucked it through the legs of Ty Edmonds for his team high 12th of the season.
Late in the first the Cougars responded when Jansen Harkins snuck a wrist shot underneath the blocker of Connor Ingram and in for his seventh. Joe Carvalho and Aaron Macklin assisted.
The first period ended with the score 1-1 and Kamloops holding a slight edge in the shot department: 11-9.
Mid-way through the second period the tide of the game turned. Cougars forward Chase Witala was on the receiving end of a knee-on-knee collision with new Blazer forward Matt Campese. Campese was ejected from the game for kneeing, but Chase Witala left the game and did not return.
The Cougars were uanble to capitalize on their five minute power play chance, and moments after the power play had ended, Kamloops went to the man advantage and took the lead for a second time.
Michael Fora one-timed home Matt Needham’s pass at point for his second of the season.
Once again though the Cougars were able to answer with a power play marker of their own. Jansen Harkins found Jari Erricson at the side of the Kamloops goal, and Erricson did the rest knocking home the Harkins pass for his 13th of the season.
2-2 was the score after two periods, and all signs pointed to an exciting third period.
Kamloops grabbed their third (and last) lead of the night at the 27 second mark of the third period. Logan McVeigh deflected home a Josh Connolly point shot and in for his third of the season.
Colin Shirley and Cole Ully would both add goals in the later stages of the third to solidify the Kamloops win.
The final shot total was: 35-25 for the Blazers. Both teams went one-for-four on the power play.
With the loss, the Cougars are now at 12-13 for the season while Kamloops improves to 11-10-2-2.
Prince George will now look to bounce back on Saturday as they once again go head-to-head with the Vancouver Giants, only this time the game’s in Vancouver.
