Dorrin Luding took a back seat to Griffen Outhouse at the Mac's tournament and was the designated bench-warmer again Saturday.
But for those who needed a reminder the Cariboo Cougars have two quality netminders, Luding turned in a stellar 27-save outing Sunday morning, a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs at Kin 1.
"It was nervewracking but the boys pulled through, I know I couldn't stop some of those shots without them," said Luding, who now has third shutouts this season. "It feels great to be back on the ice, especially against the Chiefs, they're a great team. It was hard at first but I managed to keep my mental focus. It just tried to make the easy save and keep the game calm for the team."
Only the Cougars have scored more goals than the Chiefs this season and the visitors were frustrated in their attempts to beat the 16-year-old Luding, who will represent B.C. next month at the Canada Winter Games. Luding was at his best in the first two periods. He got his outstretched stick down on the ice to make a diving save to deny Chiefs forward Parker Colley just before the first intermission and in the second period showed quick reflexes flicking his wrist out for a superb glove save off Sam Chung.
"I thought Luding was fantastic, there were a couple saves he made that were big game-changing saves when we broke down and that was good to see him back there," said Cougars assistant coach Bryan MacLean. "We like to have both guys going in net , they've both done a fantastic job this season."
Darren Hards, playing left wing on an ever-dangerous line with Chase DuBois and Justin Almeida, scored two goals for the Cougars. Hards, 16, opened the scoring with a nifty deke on goalie Adam Derochie after Almeida stripped the puck away and sent a pass from behind the net into the slot for Hards. DuBois made it 2-0 early in the second period and Hards capped the scoring in the third with a wraparound.
The win improved the Cougars' first-place B.C. Major Midget Hockey League record to 23-4-1. The Chiefs remained fourth at 16-9-3.
"I thought their goalie was first star, he was outstanding," said Chiefs head coach Jamie Jackson. "We had more than enough grade-A scoring chances to win the game in the first two periods and we that was the first time we've really had a hard time putting pucks to the net. We had a hard time making the first pass, it was pretty uncharacteristic of us."
The Chiefs failed to generate a single scoring chance on a two-man power play that lasted 1:37, with eight minutes gone in the third period.
The Cougars, who rode Outhouse's hot hand in net throughout the Mac's playoff round all the way to the tournament championship, Jan. 1 in Calgary, gave the 17-year-old from Likely the start against the Chiefs in the first game Saturday. Outhouse played well and helped the Cougars overcome a slow start, but with seven minutes left in the third period fell victim to Chiefs forward Thomas Semple, who intercepted a pass at the far blueline and scored his second of the night on a shorthanded breakaway to break a 2-2 deadlock.
Caleb Fantillo also scored Saturday for the Chiefs. Alex Hanson and Colton Thomas replied for the Cougars. Cats forward Brendan Moore had the puck roll off his stick on a penalty shot late in the third period.
Cougars forward Austin Gray, who led the league in BCMMHL heading into the weekend, was called up to the WHL Portland Winterhawks and missed both games.
The Cougars play the South Island Royals this weekend in Victoria.
