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Cougars lay a licking on Chiefs

Jari Erricson and David Soltes each scored twice and Chase Witala filled his boots with a four-point haul to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 6-2 win over the Spokane Chiefs Saturday night in Spokane.
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Jari Erricson and David Soltes each scored twice and Chase Witala filled his boots with a four-point haul to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 6-2 win over the Spokane Chiefs Saturday night in Spokane.

Erricson, a 20-year-old Prince George native who missed most of last season with a concussion, gave the Cougars a 4-0 lead 36 seconds into the third period before the Chiefs found their way onto the scoreboard a minute later when Liam Stewart beat Ty Edmonds, the first of Stewart's two goals in the game.

Slovakian import Soltes countered with his team-leading fourth and fifth goals of the season to put the game out of reach in front of 4,803 witnesses at Veterans Memorial Arena. Soltes missed all but 15 games last season with a knee injury.

Witala opened the scoring late in the first period on a pass from rookie Colby McAuley after a Spokane giveaway. Jansen Harkins, who centred a line with Erricson and Witala, also scored for the Cougars and picked up two assists.

"They just moved the puck and skated and we told them before the game [the Chiefs] defenceman are young and a little slow and they got behind them and made them work," said Cougars assistant coach Roman Vopat, in the post-game radio broadcast. "They're great players and they create a lot of chances and they got four goals tonight. The rest of the team did the dirty work and you can't win the games without the dirty work, especially on the road."

The win evened the Cats' record at 3-3-0-0 as they head to Vancouver to play the Giants Sunday evening. It was the first regulation loss of the season the Chiefs, whose record dipped to 2-1-1-0.

Edmonds made 21 saves while earning his third win of the season. Garret Hughson and Tyson Verhelst, who played the third period, combined to make 30 saves.

"Eddy made the saves when we needed him to make them and when guys see they have a strong goalie behind them they feel more comfortable and more confident and that showed in the game," said Vopat. "Eddy was a big part of our win."

LOOSE PUCKS: The Chiefs were coming off a 2-1 overtime loss Friday to the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook... Chiefs head coach Don Nachbaur registered his 600th career WHL win as a head coach last weekend in Spokane, a 3-2 triumph over the Tri-City Americans, becoming the fourth coach to join the WHL's 600 club. The longtime Prince George resident now sports a record of 600 wins 397 losses and 73 ties or overtime/shootout losses... The Chiefs visit the Cougars in Prince George, Dec. 16 and 17.