Cougars Fall 6-4 to Americans, Split Opening Weekend
PRINCE GEORGE – The Prince George Cougars wrapped their opening weekend of the CN Centre with a 6-4 setback against the Tri-City Americans, Saturday at the CN Centre.
The Americans wasted no time getting on the board, with Jake Sloan igniting the scoreboard by capitalizing on a rebound at 8:27. Pasha Bocharov followed suit, showcasing his prowess by netting the second American goal from the high slot at 11:03, solidifying a 2-0 lead for Tri-City in the opening frame. However, the Cougars weren’t to be outdone. Terik Parascak demonstrated his precision and determination, firing a wrist shot past Nick Avakyan at 19:10, narrowing the score to 2-1.
The Cougars showed resilience early in the second period, with Hudson Thornton capitalizing on the power-play just 56 seconds in, leveling the score at 2-2. Tri-City responded swiftly, as Jordan Gavin found the back of the net, once again giving the Americans the lead. The see-saw battle continued, with Oren Shtrom’s impressive play resulting in another equalizer at 11:40.
Yet, it was Pasha Bocharov’s second goal, a clutch score with a mere five seconds remaining in the period, that put the Americans back in control, leading 4-3 heading into the intermission.
The final period saw Jake Sloan extend the American lead with his second goal at 1:28. Despite a valiant effort from the Cougars, including a late goal from Viliam Kmec at 17:25, the Americans secured the victory with an empty-netter, ultimately sealing a 6-4 triumph.
Reflecting on the intense matchup, Cougars GM & Head Coach Mark Lamb commented, “We knew they were going to come out better than they did last night. That being said, I thought a lot of the goals tonight were mistakes by us, and we didn’t have the mindset to win tonight.”
Final Shots:
Tri-City Americans: 29, Prince George Cougars: 32
Power-Plays:
Tri-City Americans: 1/3, Prince George Cougars: 1/6
Goaltending:
Tri-City Americans: Nick Avakyan – 60:00 (28/32)
Prince George Cougars: Joshua Ravensbergen – 59:20 (23/28)
Three Stars:
- Jake Sloan (TC) – 3 Goals, 1 Assist, 4 Points
- Pasha Bocharov (TC) – 2 Goals, 1 Assist, 3 Points
- Hudson Thornton (PG) – 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 2 Points
