The Cariboo Cougars know now where they stand against the Vancouver Northwest Giants.
They're looking down on their B.C. Major Midget Hockey League rivals from the top rung of the ladder after a pair of decisive victories over the weekend at Kin 1.
Two goals from Colton Thomas helped the Cougars down the Giants 4-1 Sunday, while Austin Gray led the charge with a three-goal effort in a 5-1 win Saturday afternoon. That solidified their hold on first place, leaving the Cougars (15-2-1) seven points ahead of the Giants (12-4-0) with Vancouver holding two games in hand.
Gray, the Cougars captain, got his fill of hockey on the weekend. He played his first BCHL game of the season for the Spruce Kings in a 6-3 win over Surrey Friday night at the Coliseum but still had plenty left in the tank for his midget team. Now with 18 goals and 34 points in 17 games, he's the leading scorer in the BCMMHL.
"We knew it was going to be a tough weekend for us but we stuck to our systems and came out of top," said Gray. "Its the first time in seven years we've swept the Giants so we're pretty proud of that."
On Sunday, the Cougars had to consider themselves fortunate to get out of the first period tied 1-1. Vancouver outshot them 18-5 and outchanced them 4-1. The Giants grabbed the lead just 37 seconds into the game when Ryland Chernomaz banked one in off the skate of Cougars defenceman Zach Smith. But Wesley Shipton's shot from the slot through a maze of bodies evened the count 47 seconds later.
Cougars goalie Dorrin Ludding stood tall facing a deluge of pressure late in the first period while his team was killing its third minor penalty and had to be sharp to kick out his pad in time to rob Shane Kime. The 16-year-old goalie also got help from the goalpost, all that prevented Giants forward Nash Dabb from scoring with 16 seconds left in the period.
"They came out hard off that loss and we got worked in the first period and we we regrouped in the dressing room and got fired up and took it to them," said Gray. "We were told to force their d-men really hard and make them make quick decisions and forced turnovers. We didn't do that in the first but we did in the second and third and as a result we won the game."
In the second period, Thomas scored once at even strength and once on the power play to put the Cougars up 3-1 heading into the second intermission. The Giants got themselves into penalty trouble which had serious implications in their attempts to get back in the game.
The third period started with two Giants in the penalty box and they successfully killed off one, but with one second left in a double-minor to Chernomaz the Cougars made it a 4-1 game. Steven Jandric got his stick on Gray's blast from the point to put the Cougars in total command.
"I think the frustration at our lack of goalscoring got to us and it kind of showed on the penalty board," said Giants head coach Clint Thornton. "We need to find a way to score. Right now we have a lot of depth but we don't have that one sniper. We have to find a way to get pucks to the net and get traffic there."
Shots were 32-31 in favour if the Giants.
"You've got to give a lot of credit to Ludding in the first period, he kept us in it," said Cougars assistant coach Bryan MacLean. "The Giants had a big push to start the game and it was really nice to see our guys battle through the adversity and find a way win the game.
"We were working hard and had our feet moving and they ended up taking a couple of penalties and our power play, with two goals, was effective in giving us momentum."
On Saturday, Gray staked the Cougars to a lead with a shot block he turned into a shorthanded goal and the Cougars never looked back. Gray's hat-trick goal was set up by his linemate Jandric, who had a crack at an empty net but instead chose to feed the puck to Gray.
Thomas and Darren Hards also scored for the Cougars. Josh Latta wrecked Ludding's shutout bid with seven minutes left, on a Vancouver power play.
