Jerret or Jarret, no matter how you spell it, it meant trouble for the Prince George Cougars.
Rookie forward Jarret Tyszca got the Seattle Thunderbirds started with the opening goal and Jarret Smith, the T-birds veteran captain, finished the Cougars off with two goals and an assist in a 4-1 victory Saturday in Kent, Wash.
Smith's second goal of the game early in the third period was a momentum-killer for the Cats, who gained some life in the second period when Jesse Gabrielle scored shorthanded to make it a 2-1 game. The Cougars had a great chance to tie it shortly after but a shot from rookie defenceman Joel Lakusta rang the goalpost behind goalie Logan Flodell, who made 27 saves to notch his first win of the season.
Scott Eansor added to the count midway 11 minutes into the third period. Flodell made two of his best saves later on, denying Cougar forwards Jansen Harkins and Chase Witala.
Ty Edmonds made 33 saves in the Cougar nets. Cougars head coach Mark Holick said Smith's first goal, on a Seattle power play from just south of centre, was one his goaltender should have stopped, and the coach didn't like Smith's second of the night either, which also came on a power play.
"We scored the shortie early in the second and I liked our response and then in the third we just didn't play the way we needed to play," said Holick. "It was a 2-1 game and it was another softie from outside of the dots. Down 3-1, that seemed to be the backbreaker and we were fighting an uphill battle. We had opportunities to score, we had open nets and didn't get a handle on the puck. We just didn't have that pushback we had (a week ago) against Everett."
LOOSE PUCKS: The Cougars bus broke down Sunday morning while the team was heading to Safeco Field to watch the Seattle Mariners wrap up the season at home against the Oakland A's. The players got to see the game but the coaches missed it waiting for a replacement bus to take the team back to Prince George. They left Seattle late Sunday afternoon... The Cats begin a six-game homestand Friday at CN Centre against Tri-City.
