Three games in three days - no problem for the Northland Dodge Northern Female Cougars of Prince George's hockey team.
The Cougars (2-0-1) opened the B.C. Midget Triple-A Female Hockey League season by taking five of six points from the second-best team in 2012-13, the Thompson-Okanagan Rockets (0-2-1) in games played Friday through Sunday at the Kin Centre and Coliseum. Last season, the Cougars finished fifth in a five-team league and lost in the four versus five playoff game, while the Rockets were the runners-up to the B.C. champion Fraser Valley Phantoms.
This year the Cougars were able to acquire some talented players from across the north, specifically from Terrace, who won the provincial championship for bantam girls last season. Team North also won the under-16 B.C. Cup. But, talent only goes so far and the Cougars worked hard in their opening three games, dominating the Rockets in a 1-1 tie and 6-1 and 1-0 wins.
Cougars manager Scott Forrest said the girls executed coach Mario Desjardins game plan well all weekend.
"The kids played awesome all weekend," said Forrest.
The Cougars and Rockets skated to a 1-1 draw Friday in a game that saw the home side out shoot the visitors 34-9. Sydney Jordan of Quesnel scored for the Cougars, while Kitimat's Kelsey Roberts was in net for the Prince George side.
It was another lopsided night on the shot clock Saturday, as the Cougars out shot the Rockets 34-11 and this time their efforts paid off with six goals. Madison Fjellstrom and Chetwynd's Marissa Nichol each had a pair of goals, while Jocelyn Forrest had a goal and an assist and Tessa Hare of Williams Lake had the other goal for the Cougars.
Avery Quiring had the win in the Cougars' net.
The Rockets played their best game of the weekend Sunday, but Roberts was solid in net and earned her first shutout of the season, stopping all 16 shots she faced. Hunter Mosher of Chetwynd scored the only goal in the Cats' 1-0 win.
The Cougars are off this weekend and return to action Oct. 5-6 at the first BCMMFL Super Weekend of the season in Surrey, which also doubles as the World Girls Hockey Celebration where female teams of all ages will compete. The Cats will play three games, starting Saturday, Oct. 5 (10:45 a.m.) vs. the Kootenay Wildcats. In their second game Saturday (6:45 p.m.) the Cougars face the revamped Vancouver Avalanche, who are back in the league after sitting out last season. Sunday (9 a.m.) the Cougars play their first game against the expansion Vancouver Island Hurricanes.
The next three-game home stand for the Cougars is Oct. 25-27 against the defending champion Phantoms.
