It was a good start to the Cariboo Cougars show down weekend with the Okanagan Rockets on Saturday at CN Centre.
The Cougars (25-7-1) knocked off the Rockets 5-3 to increase their hold on second place in the B.C. Major Midget League to four points over the visitors from the Okanagan. The Rockets hold two games in hand on the Cougars.
Brad Morrison and Liam Blackburn gave the Cougars a 2-0 advantage after the first period but the Rockets tied it at 2-2 early in the middle frame on goals from Joe Gatenby and Spencer Hewson. Kirk Hards notched a power-play goal to restore the Cariboo lead heading to the third period.
In the final period, Stephen Penner blasted a point shot past Rockets' goalie Reid Kilburn on another power play to double the Cats' lead to 4-2.
Logan Styler made it 5-2 after taking a pass from Blackburn and burying the puck past Kilburn. The assist tied Blackburn with former Cougars forward Brett Bulmer for most points in a single season with 63.
Cariboo went 3 for 4 on the power play and also scored a shorthanded marker while limiting the Rockets to 1 for 5 with the man advantage.
The two teams meet for the final time in the regular season Sunday, 10:15 a.m. at CN Centre. With a win the Cougars would secure the tiebreaker for playoff positioning should the teams end the regular season in a tie.
