Season after season, the Cariboo Cougars are among the top teams in the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League. Based on their play on opening weekend, the Cats appear to be strong once again.
The 15- to 17-year-old Cougars defeated the Valley West Giants 3-1 on Sunday at Kin 1. The previous night on the same ice surface, the teams skated to a 3-3 overtime tie.
"Obviously when you take three out of four points on a weekend it's a solid weekend," said Cougars head coach Tyler Brough. "I think we had to shore up a few areas of our game from Saturday to this morning and I thought we did that. I thought we controlled a lot of the play today. Our feet were moving, we were more engaged and we were harder on pucks and I think that turned into the 'W' for us."
In Sunday's win, Cariboo skaters had the puck on their sticks for the majority of the third period and that allowed the Cougars to protect a 2-1 lead and score an insurance goal.
"We want to be tenacious on pucks and we want to create turnovers," Brough said. "I think that starts with us moving our feet and being heavy on the forecheck and being in their face and giving them no time to move and breathe and no space at all. It worked in our favour and that's going to be our game plan. We have to play that way to be successful."
Brendan Pigeon is the man who gave his team the insurance marker. The goal was his second of the contest. The other Cariboo counter came from team captain Grady Thomas.
In net, 15-year-old Colton Phillips-Watts made his first-ever BCHMML start and was one shot away from posting a shutout. The only puck that got by him was off a rebound late in the second period.
"He has impressed us ever since training camp," Brough said. "For a young man he composes himself pretty well back there. He's going to be a gamer. He's a smaller goalie who competes really hard. He's got a bright future, not only with us but in the game."
Over the course of 60 minutes, the Cougars outshot the Giants 37-21.
In Saturday night's tie, Brett Fudger scored twice for the Cougars and Pigeon - on a power play - had the other goal. Seventeen-year-old Xavier Cannon was in net for the Cougars, who were outshot 33-28.
Next up for the Cougars is a Saturday game in Burnaby against the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs. The teams will also meet on Sunday.
The Cariboo major midget and minor midget teams have a handful of players who still need billet families. Anyone interested in billeting a player is asked to contact general manager Trevor Sprague at 250-640-6509.
