It was a special win for the Cariboo Cougars.
The Cougars remained undefeated in the B.C. Major Midget League season Saturday with a 4-0 win over the Vancouver NE Chiefs at CN Centre. The home side notched two power-play goals and a shorthanded marker - while five on three - and added an even-strength goal all in the second period to improve to 5-0 this season.
Stephen Penner, captain Ryan Forbes, Brad Morrison and Liam Blackburn all beat Chiefs' goaltender Jeffrey Smith, who faced 37 shots in the game and couldn't be faulted for any of the goals.
The Cougars dominated the Chiefs in the middle frame, winning the battles in the corners and out-hustling them to pucks. Luck was also on the Cats side. Trailing 1-0, the Chiefs put the puck off the post and it slid across the goal line to the other side but it didn't cross over. Not long after Forbes took off on a shorthanded breakaway and made it 2-0, which deflated the Chiefs.
In the final period the Chiefs piled the shots (18) on Cougars goalie Nathan Warren due to the Cats inability to stay out of the penalty box. In the final minutes of the game the Cougars were called for a four-minute hit-to-the-head penalty twice.
Cougars coach Trevor Sprague said the number of penalties didn't really reflect the game his team played.
"I don't think that was all us," said Sprague. "We played a very good disciplined hockey game. We finished our checks but our guys showed a lot of character in that we may have other things stacked against us but we had great character. We moved on from it and we won a hockey game."
The Chiefs (2-2-1) may not have Matt Barzal, the first-overall pick of the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2012 WHL bantam draft for Sunday's rematch, 10:15 a.m., at CN Centre, as he left the game and was taken to the hospital to be treated for a concussion.
