It was a better effort then the Prince George Cougars put out a couple days earlier but with the same result Thursday as Jordan Cooke backstopped the Kelowna Rockets to a 3-0 win.
The Cougars (5-5-1) were the superior team at Prospera Place in Kelowna through 40 minutes of action but it was the Rockets (5-5-1) who held the 2-0 advantage in front of 4,781 spectators taking in the Western Hockey League game between the B.C. Division rivals.
Colton Sissons gave the Rockets a 1-0 advantage when he beat Mac Engel, getting his first start in the Cougars' net, midway through the opening period. Myles Bell contributed the rest of the offence for Kelowna with a pair of goals, giving his team a 2-0 lead with nine seconds left in the second period before his eighth goal of the season beat Engel at the 34 second mark of the final period.
The Cougars out shot the Rockets 32-26. Prince George was a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill but were also 0-for-7 on the power play, including 36 seconds of a five-on-three late in the third period.
Prince George have been shut out in two straight games - they were blanked 5-0 by the Calgary Hitmen on Tuesday - and have lost four games in a row.
The current crop of Cougars are struggling but the future appears bright with six prospects named to the the 2012 Western Canada Under-16 Challenge Cup, Nov. 1-4, at Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary.
In addition to Cougar prospects Jansen Harkins and Brad Morrison being named to Team B.C., four other future Cougars had their names called. Forward Aaron Boyd will suit up for Team Manitoba, while defencemen Shane Collins and Tate Olson along with goalie Matt Kustra were named to Team Saskatchewan.
Engel and the Cougars headed to Spokane after the game where they'll face the newly acquired goaltender's former team, the Chiefs, Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
