Rookie defenceman Keaton Dowhaniuk scored his first career WHL goal and Prince George Cougar veterans Majid Kaddoura and Tyson Upper collected their first goals of the season in a 5-2 win Friday over the Victoria Royals in Kelowna.
The 17-year-old Dowhaniuk, the Cougars’ third-overall draft in the 2019 draft, blasted a shot from the point that sailed into the net behind Royals goalie Martin Connor to give the Cats a brief 2-1 lead 3:23 into the second period.
Rookie Trentyn Crane tied it for Victoria midway through the period but the Cougars had an answer for that late in the period and Jonny Hooker notched his fourth goal in nine games since the WHL season began in late-March.
Kyren Gronick padded the lead with an empty-net goal in the final minute and 10 seconds later Upper took a behind-the-net feed from Fischer O’Brien to end his goal-less drought. Upper scored eight goals in 62 games last season.
Taylor Gauthier picked up his second win of the season in goal for the Cougars. He made 19 saves as the Cats outshot Victoria 41-21.
Brayden Tracey opened the scoring on a Royals’ power play in the first period.
The Cougars were coming off a tough 5-0 loss Wednesday to the division-leading Kamloops Blazers.
The win brought the third-place Cougars (4-3-1-1) above the .500 mark, while Victoria (1-8-1-0) remained fourth in the B.C. Division.
The Cougars returned to their home in the Kamloops pod and will face the Kelowna Rockets tonight (7 p.m., 94.3 FM, The Goat) at Sandman Centre.
The Rockets will resume their schedule in their first game back since getting shut down March 31 due to COVID protocols after several players and team staff tested positive for COVID-19. Kelowna (1-1-0-0) has played just two games this season. The Rockets’ most recent game was on March 28, a 6-0 loss to the Vancouver Giants in Kamloops. Kelowna opened March 26 in Kelowna with a 5-0 victory over Victoria.
