The Cariboo Cougars used a quick start and a balanced attack to beat the North Island Silvertips 5-1 on Sunday in Nanaimo.
Sunday’s victory in the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League followed a 3-3 tie between the Cougars and Silvertips on Saturday.
In Sunday’s game, the Cats had a 3-0 lead after the first period on goals by John Herrington, Hunter Brown and Jaydon Merritt. Alexander Wienecke of the Silvertips was the only goal-scorer in the second period. In the third, Devan Minard and Jackson Hassman answered back for the Cougars. Hassman also dished out two assists for a three-point game. Cariboo forward Fischer O’Brien also had a pair of helpers.
In the nets, affiliate player Kenny Gerow got the start for the Cougars and earned the win. Joshua Doherty took the loss for the Silvertips.
In Saturday’s tie, Brown scored twice for the Cats and O’Brien had the other goal. Gabriel Shipley, Jacob Thomas and Miles Carson were the marksmen for the Silvertips. The Cats were up 3-2 after the second period but Carson scored with 5:04 to play in the third. Overtime solved nothing, but the Cougars did have to kill off a penalty to Brown during those five minutes.
Gerow (Cariboo) and Doherty (North Island) were the goaltenders.
With the results, the Cougars (12-4-1-1) moved into third place, one point ahead of the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (12-5-0-1). The Silvertips, meanwhile, are in ninth place in the 11-team league with a record of 4-11-3-0.
The Cougars will be back in Kin 1 this coming weekend for games against the Valley West Giants. Start times are 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
The Giants began the Nov. 23-24 weekend in eighth place with a mark of 3-7-2-4. They played a pair of games against the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs.
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The Cariboo Cougars filled the net against the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs.
During a weekend doubleheader in the B.C. Hockey Minor Midget League, the Cougars scored 16 goals and picked up a pair of victories in the process. The Cats beat the Chiefs 9-7 on Sunday, after a 7-3 triumph on Saturday. Both games were played in Coquitlam.
In Sunday’s goalfest, the Cougars led 5-3 heading into the third period. In those final 20 minutes, each team scored four times and the Cats had their two-goal margin of victory. The Cougars trailed 7-6 with 3:19 left to play but goals by Max Sanford and Decker Mujcin put them back in front and then Amar Powar iced the game with an empty-netter.
Offensively, Scott Cousins led the Cougars with two goals and four assists. Dawson Davis, Brett Barwise, Brady McIsaac and Tye Peters also found the back of the Vancouver Northeast net.
Tomis Marinkovic and Aidan Wildeman each had a pair of goals for the Chiefs. Derek Leroux, Matteo Pero and Chase Harron also scored for the hosts.
Jasper Tait was the winning goaltender, while Emmett Dixon took the loss.
Saturday’s game was a tight one until the Cougars blew it open with five goals in the third period. Cousins had two goals and an assist in the win, as did Linden Makow. Miguel Marques, Barwise and Pryce Peats also scored for the Cats. Marinkovic (2) and Pero responded for the Chiefs. Tysen Smith (Cougars) and Josh Henson (Chiefs) were the goaltenders of record.
Marinkovic and Cousins are currently first and second in the league scoring race. Each has 32 points, Marinkovic on 18 goals and 14 assists and Cousins on 14 goals and 18 assists. Marinkovic has played 14 games and Cousins has been on the ice for 12.
The Cougars elevated their record to 11-3-0-0, the same mark as the Okanagan Rockets at the top of the standings. The Rockets, based on a pair of wins against the Cougars on the opening weekend of the season, are in first place.
The Chiefs slipped to 6-8-0-0 and are in sixth place in the nine-team league. The Cougars will visit the Vancouver Northwest Hawks next weekend.
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The Northern Capitals skated to a pair of victories against one of the top teams in the B.C. Hockey Female Midget Triple-A League.
On the ice in Langley, the Capitals beat the Fraser Valley Rush 3-2 on Sunday, 3-2 on Saturday and lost the series-opener 4-3 on Friday.
In Sunday’s win, Ocean Andersen scored a pair of power-play goals in the second period, after Brette Kerley had given the Capitals a 1-0 lead in the first. Hailey Maurice drew the Rush into a 3-1 deficit in the final six minutes of the second and Jaden Cherry scored early in the third but Fraser Valley got no closer, thanks in part to a huge save by Cadence Petitclerc-Crosby in the dying moments.
Andersen also assisted on Kerley’s goal for a three-point game.
Petitclerc-Crosby was the winning goaltender and Nicole Jaremchuk was on the losing end of the score.
On Saturday, Paige Outhouse, Kerley and Brooklyn Hutchings took care of the offence for the Capitals. Tessa Sturgeon was between the pipes for the winners and Brynn Waisman was saddled with the loss.
In Friday’s opener, the Rush led 2-1 after the first period and got the eventual winner from Maurice with 7:42 left to play in the second. The goal was Maurice’s second of the game. Hannah Willows and Madelaine Leaney had the other goals for Fraser Valley.
Pyper Alexander (2) and Destiny Bautista replied for the Capitals.
Jaremchuk and Petitclerc-Crosby were the goaltenders.
In the standings, the Northern Capitals are fourth out of five teams with a 6-6-1-0 record. The Rush sit in second spot at 8-3-0-0.
The Capitals have home games this coming Friday (6:15 p.m.), Saturday (3:30 p.m.) and Sunday (7:30 a.m.) against the Vancouver Island Seals. All games will be on the ice in Kin 2. The Seals (0-16-0-0) are still looking for their first point of the season.
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In other weekend games, the North Central bantam double-A Bobcats lost twice to OMAHA Central, 7-2 on Saturday at the Elksentre and 5-2 on Sunday at Kin 3. Jake Phillips-Watts and Hunter Potskin scored the Sunday goals for the Bobcats, while Marek Brideau and Keenan Holland did the offensive damage on Saturday.
