Prince George, B.C. — The Cariboo Cougars downed the Vancouver NE Chiefs 6-2 in front of a packed Kin 1 rink Friday night to take a 1-0 lead in the BCMML semi-final series.

 

Cougar defenceman Ryan Gagnon scored a natural hat trick including a late second period power play goal leading the Cats to the convincing win.

Hayden-James Berra opened scoring just 4:22 into the first period with a one-timer into the open cage after Nathan Craft fed the puck from behind the Chiefs net where goaltender Daniel Urbani was trying to play it.  Gagnon scored his first of the game midway through the opening frame from Berra and Jake LeBrun as the Cougars took a 2-1 lead into the second after Boston Colley scored on the power play with just 28 seconds left.

Gagnon’s two second period tallies put the Cats in a 4-1 lead going into the third.  Captain Tanner Fjellstrom then increased the lead to four 1:12 into the final frame on the power play from Craft and Eli Jarvis.  Midway through the third Jeff Wight earned one back for the visitors to make it a three goal game with six and a half minutes to go. 

A brutal high crosscheck to the throat of Cougar Forward Brett Roulston earned Liam Pearce a match penalty as he will watch from the stands for game two Saturday.  The on ice excitement then spilled into the dressing room hallway as Pearce was confronted by a trio of young fans requiring security and an off duty police officer to get involved in the fray.  After about a ten minute delay, the game resumed with the Cougars on a seven minute power play as Berra scored his second of the game with under three minutes to go en route to the 6-2 win.

The Cougars went 3/6 on the power play killing off three of four penalties while outshooting the Chiefs 43-26.  David Readman got the win in net for the Cats and will start Saturday with the Cougars able to advance to the BCMML Championship series with a win.

Game two is set for a 6:45pm start Saturday in Kin 1 and can be viewed live at www.cariboocougars.ca.