Troy Bourke notched his first two goals of the season but it wasn't enough for the Prince George Cougars as they fell 7-5 to the Kelowna Rockets.
The Rockets (3-3-1) managed a split of the doubleheader at CN Centre and handed their B.C. division rival their first regulation loss of the Western Hockey League season.
Kelowna found the twine behind Cougars' goalie Devon Fordyce four times in the first period as Dylan McKinlay, Zach Franko, Myles Bell and Rourke Chartier staked the visitors to a 4-2 lead.
Brett Zarowry replaced Fordyce in net to start the second period but the goaltending change didn't stop the Rockets from taking a 5-2 lead as Chartier scored his second of the night.
The Cougars (4-1-1) closed the gap to 5-4 with goals from Zach Pochiro and Colin Jacobs. Prince George only had four shots on Rockets goalie Jordan Cooke in the middle frame. Jesse Lees restored the Rockets two-goal advantage with his first of the season before the second was done.
In the third period, Bourke pulled the Cougars back within one at 6-5 with his second of the season but a power-play goal by Devon Severson secured the Rockets' win.
Jordan Cooke make the save of the night, gloving a Colin Jacobs' shot headed for the top corner midway through the third period that would've tied the game.
Jacobs scored his sixth goal of the season to extend his point streak to six games.
After McKinlay gave the Rockets a 1-0 lead it took Cougars forward Chase Witala 15 seconds to tie the game at 1-1. A night after the teams combined for seven goals in the first period they had six in Saturday's game.
The Rockets out shot the Cougars 36-27.
There was an announced crowd of 2,018 spectators taking in the game.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
CN Centre
Kelowna Rockets 7 Prince George Cougars 5
First period:
1. Kelowna Dylan McKinlay 2 (Bell) 4:29
2. Prince George Chase Witala 2 (Fontaine) 4:44
3. Kelowna Zach Franko 3 (Bell, Olsen) 9:17
3. Kelowna Myles Bell 5 (Sissons, McKinlay) 13:38
4. Prince George Troy Bourke 1 (Jacobs) 15:13 pp
5. Kelowna Rourke Chartier 1 19:10
Penalties: Pochiro PG (interference) :58; Bench minor KEL (too many men, served by Tyson Baillie) 14:20; Ehrhardt PG (slashing) 20:00.
Second period:
6. Kelowna Rourke Chartier 2 (Franko) 2:15
7. Prince George Zach Pochiro 3 (Hirsche, Belter) 4:30
8. Prince George Colin Jacobs 6 (Tkatch, Carvalho) 5:23
9. Kelowna Jesse Lees 1 (Bell, Sissons) 13:31
Penalties: Belter PG (boarding) 14:19.
Third period:
10. Prince George Troy Bourke 2 (Erricson, Siwak) 2:24
11. Kelowna Damon Severson 1 (Sissons, Chartier) 12:01 pp
Penalties: Forsberg PG (checking from behind) 10:49; Olsen KEL (charging) 19:50.
Shots:
Kelowna 14 16 6 36
Prince George 8 4 15 27
Goal: Kelowna Jordan Cooke (W 3-3-1), Prince George Devon Fordyce (14-10), Brett Zarowny (start of second L 22-19)
Power play: Kelowna 1/3 Prince George 1/2
Referees: Tyler Adair, Jason Cramer, Brendon Creyke, Adam Hyatt
Attendance: 2,018
