A loss, a tie and a COVID cancellation – it was just another strange pandemic weekend for the Cariboo Cougars under-18 triple-A hockey team.
Northern B.C.'s top midget-aged team traveled to Abbotsford for the latest installment in the Cohort Cup tournament and the first game of what was to be a three-game weekend turned out a rough one for the Cats. They lost 7-4 to the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs Saturday morning.
But it was much better result in the nightcap, a 3-3 tie with the Vancouver Northwest Hawks, a game the Cougars could just as easily have won.
Cariboo was all set to play the Greater Vancouver Canadians Sunday morning but the game was postponed after Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry imposed strict limitations on sporting activities in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health regions that forbid any group activities where social distancing measures are not possible. The ban took effect at 10 p.m. Saturday and is in effect for the next two weeks.
The two Lower Mainland health regions were singled out due to the alarming increase in the number of positive COVID tests over the last couple weeks. No teams are allowed to travel in or out of the affected areas for games or competitions and Henry advising against non-essential travel to Metro Vancouver.
In the loss to the Chiefs, Ante Zlomislic scored twice in the second period and Dylan Smail found the target for his first of two goals to give Vancouver a 5-3 lead heading into the third period and they added two more in the third on goalie Dawson Smith. Scott Cousins, Hayden Smith, Carter Yarish and Chase Pacheco were the Cougars goalscorers as they went 3-for-4 on the power play.
“We’ve played such limited games and we didn’t like the way the first weekend went down there, we have a lot of new faces,” said Cariboo assistant coach RJay Berra.
“The first game we were 3-for-4 on the power play and we were whipping it around pretty good. Defensively, it just continues to be a bit of struggle right now for us to find that consistency every single shift. We have good spurts at times when we’re playing good hockey and then we’ll have times when we’re not just managing the puck properly and we’re making poor decisions and it’s costing us right now.”
Kenny Gerow, the designated starter for Sunday’s postponed game, saw a few minutes of action Saturday morning, replacing Smith in net.
Against the Hawks, Yarish scored on a power play late in the second period to put the Cougars ahead 3-2 heading into the final period and that lead lasted until, with seven seconds left and goalie Jameson Kaine on the bench for the extra attacker, Ryan Watt blasted a one-timer in past Cougars goalie Tysen Smith to force a 10-minute overtime period, which decided nothing. Kellen Brienen and Hayden Smith also scored for Cariboo in that game.
“I thought we were getting better from a team standpoint and I would have liked to have seen what we could have done in that third game but there’s lots we can take away from it and that’s what the exhibition season is for,” said Berra, who took on the head coaching duties in both games, with usual bench boss Tyler Brough attending a family matter in Grande Prairie.
“It’s such a weird time and we’re just trying to piece together good weeks and work on things with a unique schedule, just like everyone else. It’s disappointing to lose that (scheduled) game but we’re excited to play again in a couple weeks, hopefully. It’s going well down there and they’re doing a great job with the setup they have and we’re happy to be playing games right now.”
The tie left the Cariboo with a 3-3-1 record in preseason play. They went 1-2 in their first Cohort Cup trip (Oct. 17-18). The Cougars will now go into a 14-day quarantine period while they prepare for their next three Cohort Cup games, tentatively scheduled for the last weekend of the month in Abbotsford.
