The Cariboo Cougars filled the net during a weekend doubleheader against the Kootenay Ice.
In games played in Trail, the Cougars beat the Ice 9-2 on Sunday and 8-1 on Saturday. The Cougars were coming off a bye weekend in the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League but showed no rust.
In Sunday’s contest, Landon Ingham and Carter Yarish set the pace offensively with a pair of goals each. Other marksmen for the Cougars were Fischer O’Brien, Brennan Bott, Alex Ochitwa, Nico Myatovic and Mathew Magrath. The Cats had a 2-1 lead after the first period and blew the game open with six unanswered goals in the second. Magrath completed the Cariboo scoring in the third period.
Ethan Smyth and Ashton Underhill were the only Kootenay shooters to beat Cougars goaltender Colton Phillips-Watts.
On Saturday, Cariboo forward Devan Minard connected for a natural hat trick. He scored late in the second period and added consecutive goals in a three-minute span in the third. Team captain John Herrington finished with two goals and so did Ochitwa. Kellan Brienen also scored for the Cougars and Phillips-Watts was between the pipes for the win.
Kaleb Percival scored the lone goal for the Ice.
The Cougars and Ice were tied 1-1 after the first period and the Cats were up 6-1 after the second.
Affiliate player Tysen Smith was the Cougars’ backup goaltender for the weekend.
With the pair of convincing victories, the Cats improved to 3-0-0-1 on the season. The Ice slipped to 1-5-0-0.
The Cougars will be back on the road next weekend, this time in Abbotsford for games against the Valley West Hawks. Their next home action is Oct. 19-20 when they welcome the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs to Kin 1.
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The Northern Capitals of the B.C. Hockey Female Midget Triple-A League opened their season with a 2-2 record at a showcase event in Surrey.
The Capitals started with a 7-0 Friday loss to the Greater Vancouver Comets and, later Friday, downed the Thompson Okanagan Lakers 3-1. On Saturday, the Caps dropped a 5-4 decision to the Fraser Valley Rush but rebounded with a 2-0 Sunday victory against the Vancouver Island Seals.
Forward Brooklyn Hutchings had a four-point weekend, with two goals and two assists.
Next up for the Northern Capitals are Oct. 18-20 road games against the Comets.
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At the major bantam level, the Cariboo Cougars lost both their weekend games to the host Okanagan Rockets.
On Saturday in Penticton, the Rockets prevailed 3-1. Then, on Sunday in Kelowna, the offensive floodgates opened up but the Cougars ended up on the wrong end of an 8-6 score.
Through the first six games of the season, Josh Sale leads the Cariboo club offensively with four goals and 9 points. To date, the Cougars have gone 1-4-0-1.
The Cougars will compete in a tournament in Chilliwack next weekend.
