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Cougars beat Thunderbirds in shootout

Thanks to a second-period comeback, Prince George Cougars were able to force overtime and eventually win 3-2 in the shootout while on the road Friday against the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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Thanks to a second-period comeback, Prince George Cougars were able to force overtime and eventually win 3-2 in the shootout while on the road Friday against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

They scored two goals in the middle frame to force OT, their first WHL game experience with the new three-on-three OT format. The Cats successfully killed off an overtime penalty to Jesse Gabrielle in the five-minute extra session to force a shootout. Kody McDonald scored in the shootout.

Seattle opened the scoring 8:32 in when the Cougars failed to clear their own zone. Matthew Wedman picked off the puck in the high slot and set up Nolan Volcan for his second of the season. The T-birds made it 2-0 on a power play 20 seconds into the second period. Sami Moilanen, an import from Finland, was set up by winger Ryan Gropp, playing his first game for Seattle since retuning this week from the AHL.

The Cougars got back on even terms when their power play struck twice in the second period. Gabrielle was set up by Brad Morrison for his fourth of the season, cashing in a shot from the face-off circle with 8:47 gone in the period. Jansen Harkins drew a penalty a few minutes later and connected for his first of the season to knot the score.

The Cougars successfully killed off a penalty late in the game handed to Josh Anderson, who came to the defence of teammate Brad Morrison, who was flattened by an open-ice hit from Turner Ottenbreit.

Sixteen-year-old goalie Carl Stankowski, in his second career WHL start, made 23 stops in 60 minutes of regulation time, as did Cougars goalie Ty Edmonds, who was trying for his sixth win of the season.

LOOSE PUCKS: The Cougars play their next game tonight in Kennewick, Wash., against the Tri-City Americans... Cougars captain Sam Ruopp left the game at the midway point after taking a stick up high in a collision with Gropp. The Cats defenceman did return to action early in the third period.