Again and again, the Sun Life Financial Cougars heard this unwelcome sound.
Clang.
Clang, clang.
Sunday in Williams Lake, the midget Tier 2 Cougars fell 4-3 to the host Williams Lake Timberwolves in a rep hockey tournament final. During the game, P.G. shooters found just as much iron as mesh. Daylen Ouellette twice hit posts while the Cats were ahead 2-0 in the first period. Later, with the T-wolves in a 3-2 lead, Ryan Phipps of the Cougars fired another shot off a post.
"It was just one of those games, but it was a really good final," said Wes Scott, head coach of the 15- to 17-year-old Cougars.
Brett Moore, Jordan Carstairs and Travis Cruezot were the guys who did manage to coax pucks across the goal line.
The loss was the only one of the weekend for the Cats. In round-robin play, they beat Quesnel 3-2, dumped Smithers 8-2 and defeated Kamloops 7-2. Then, in the playoff semifinals, Prince George faced Prince Rupert and prevailed 5-3.
Carstairs, Darrian Estey and Clark Scott were, as usual, the Cougars' go-to guys offensively. But Phipps may have been the best of the bunch.
"He was skating and firing the puck," Wes Scott said. "He scored six or seven goals this weekend but he probably could have had double that. He was getting tons of chances. He played really, really well."
With the results, the Cougars bumped their season record to 19-8-3. They will be back in Williams Lake this weekend for league games against the Timberwolves. The teams compete in the Cariboo Amateur Hockey Association.
