The Cariboo Cougars will have the chance to clinch a playoff spot when they skate against the North Island Silvertips on Vancouver Island this weekend.
Currently, the Cats are in sixth place in the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League with a record of 15-17-2 and 32 points. With a pair of wins against the Silvertips -- who hold the eighth and final post-season position at 11-18-5 and 27 points -- they will ensure they will finish ahead of North Island and the ninth-place South Island Royals (11-21-4, 26 points).
Earlier this season, the Cougars beat the Silvertips 6-2 and 5-2. Those games were played Nov. 16-17 in Prince George.
The Cats and Silvertips will renew acquaintances Saturday in Port Alberni and Sunday in Courtenay. The road trip will be the final one of the regular season for the Cougars, who will host the powerhouse Okanagan Rockets (Feb. 22-23) and Vancouver Northwest Giants (March 1-2) in their last four games. The league-leading Rockets and Giants have matching 27-5-2 records.
The Cougars are coming off a home-ice split with the Royals. The Cats blanked the Royals 3-0 last Saturday at CN Centre and then fell 5-4 on Sunday.
In the win, goaltender Jeremy Matte picked up the shutout and the Cougars got their offence from Bryan Allbee, Steven Jandric and Riley Pettitt.
In the loss, Allbee added two more goals for the Cougars, while Jandric and Colton Thomas also scored. The Cats trailed 5-2 after the second period and fell just short of the comeback.
