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Mixed results for Prince George minor hockey teams in seeing first action since COVID-19

Cariboo Cougars, Northern Capitals finally face-off after seven-month pause
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer
Fischer O'Brien-CaribooCougars-Keagan Goulet-NorthernCapitals
Cariboo Cougars' Fischer O'Brien (left) and Northern Capitals' Keagan Goulet. (via Cariboo Cougars/Kyle Balzer, PrinceGeorgeMatters)

Hockey is underway for Prince George’s minor teams.

Four clubs within the Cariboo Hockey development program have hit the ice to compete as they anxiously await an official start to the 2020-21 season by their provincial-governing body, potentially earmarked, at this time, for January.

Both tournament and exhibition games have taken place the last three weekends, including Saturday (Oct. 17) and Sunday (Oct. 18), however, it appears some rust may need a bit more dusting off.

Combined, the Cariboo Cougars’ Under-18, -16 and -15 teams are 2-7 in the three-month quest for the BC Hockey Cohort Cup down in Abbotsford, while the Northern Capitals went 0-2-1 in its three-game series in Williams Lake against the Fraser Valley Rush.

Each team is quarantining two weeks before their next stints across the province in order to meet COVID-19 health and safety protocols in all locations.

CARIBOO U-18 COUGARS

It’s a 1-2 start for the 2019 BC champions after their first weekend at the Cohort Cup.

The Cats started this past weekend on the right foot, pulling out a 6-5 victory over the Greater Vancouver Canadians in an extra frame.

Carter Yarish sealed the deal with a four-goal performance Saturday morning at the Abbotsford Centre, which included the tournament-opening goal, the game-tying marker and the overtime winner. 

The Prince George product capped the weekend with a team-leading six points, five goals and one assist, while Kenny Gerow got the win between the pipes.

The Cougars dropped the next two contests by scores of 6-3 and 4-3 against the host-Fraser Valley Thunderbirds and Valley West Giants respectively.

Head Coach Tyler Brough told PrinceGeorgeMatters in an earlier interview that he believes his team is resilient and hungry, given last season’s playoffs and the chance to repeat as provincial champions was cut short by the pandemic.

“They’ve been on the ice quite a bit since we’ve been back, and I think the hunger within for them to compete is even more so there,” he explained. 

“We’ve got a lot of players from different levels and different teams that they played for last year, there was a lot left on the table. We’re going to keep digging for that and keep working on playing for different things that were left on that table last year. We felt that we made a big statement at the Mac’s last year and we’re hoping to do the same in our playoffs, but we didn’t get the chance.”

Week Two games:

  • Nov. 7, 9 a.m. vs. Vancouver North East Chiefs
  • Nov. 8, 7 p.m. vs. Vancouver North West Hawks
  • Nov. 8, 9 a.m. vs. Greater Vancouver Canadians

NORTHERN CAPITALS

Prince George’s top female hockey club was on the verge of potentially being the sleeper club in the 2019-20 playoffs, but was also cancelled by COVID-19.

This past weekend, the new crop got its first taste of since, but the result was a 0-2-1 record against Fraser Valley in Williams Lake.

This included scores of a 5-2 loss, a 3-3 tie and a 5-4 setback, but it was six of the 10 returning players that stepped up in the moments the Capitals needed to stay in the game.

Keagan Goulet, who plays defence, provided the fire with five points in three games.

Head Coach Mario Desjardins said prior to the exhibition series it’ll take time for the rookies to adjust given the current situation.

“I feel like the biggest thing they’re going to notice is probably the time and space they used to have at a different level and that’s a little different at our level,” said Desjardins to PrinceGeorgeMatters.

“They’re going to have to make that adjustment and that’s why it’s important to get them into games right away. They look great in practice, we’re really happy with the new girls that came in and the team has bonded since we made our line-up. It’ll give us the opportunities to develop and grow as a team as we move hopefully into January when the season gets started.”

The Capitals will be back in Williams Lake in two weeks, Nov. 7 and 8, to begin a five-game home-and-home series against the Thompson-Okanagan Lakers.

CARIBOO U-16 COUGARS

The reigning regular-season champions are also 1-2 at the start of its Cohort Cup stint, which began Oct. 10 and 11.

The Cats also clawed out a tournament-opening triumph against Greater Vancouver with a 3-2 score, but dropped their next two; a 5-4 nail-biter to Fraser Valley and a 14-2 thumping by Valley West.

Joshua Sale and Ryan Toor led the way on the scoresheet with five points each, with Damien Knackstedt nabbing the lone win on the Saturday morning.

Week Two games:

  • Oct. 31, 9 a.m. vs. Vancouver North East Chiefs
  • Nov. 1, 7 p.m. vs. Vancouver North West Hawks
  • Nov. 1, 9 a.m. vs. Greater Vancouver Canadians

CARIBOO U-15 COUGARS

The Cats may have gone winless two weeks ago (0-3), but it was Cameron Schmidt that turned some heads during the very first weekend of the Cohort Cup.

The forward potted seven goals in two of the three losses, including a hat-trick in the opener and a four-goal stint in his team’s third contest before heading back to Prince George.

Cariboo’s closest match was the Sunday morning (Oct. 4) bout against Valley West, which resulted in a 6-5 overtime setback despite leading the Giants 5-1 through the first 21 minutes and 56 seconds.

They lost 6-4 to Greater Vancouver and 10-1 to host-Fraser Valley a day earlier.

The Cougars’ next set of Cohort Cup games are this weekend.

  • Oct. 24, 9 a.m. vs. Vancouver North East Chiefs
  • Oct. 24, 7 p.m. vs. Vancouver North West Hawks
  • Oct. 25, 9 a.m. vs. Greater Vancouver Canadians