The Prince George Cougars are heading home with a split with the Victoria Royals. Saturday night in Victoria, Brett Cote broke a 2-2 tie with 2:56 remaining in the third to give Victoria their 13^th win of the season. Raymond Grewal and Jarrett Fontaine supplied the offense for the Cougars while Brett Zarowny stopped 25 of the 28 shots he faced.

The first five minutes produced a ton of drama, as a couple of key moments would set the dramatic tone early. First it was Victoria gaining momentum when Ben Walker was hauled down on a breakaway. Though he got a shot on goal, he was awarded a penalty shot.

Walker quickly skated in on Brett Zarowny made a move to the forehand, but Zarowny kicked out his left pad and made the save to keep the game scoreless.

A few shifts later, Steven Hodges hit Marc McNulty into the boards from behind in the Cougars zone. Luckily McNulty was okay after the collision, and the Cougars were rewarded with a double-minor power play.

The Cougars would convert on the first man-advantage when defenceman Raymond Grewal snuck in from the point, and beat Patrick Polivka off a very nice pass from Daulton Siwak from behind the net. For Grewal it was his first ever goal in the WHL.

Victoria responded at the halfway point when Ben Walker placed a wrist shot through the legs of Brett Zarowny. Walker then scored his second of the game a few shifts later when he tapped home an Alex Gogolev pass on a three-on-two. Walker’s ninth and 10^th goals of the season had Victoria up 2-1 after one.

The second period was a much better one for the Cougars who outshot Victoria 13-4. They controlled the tempo from the opening period faceoff, and would be rewarded offensively for their efforts at 8:28.

Marc McNulty shot the puck towards the goal from the left point, and the puck found it’s way to the slot area where Jarrett Fontaine settled it, and fired a low shot past Patrick Polivka for his third goal of the season.

Early in the third period the Cougars earned a few more power play opportunities and came very close to burying on their chances. Daulton Siwak was robbed from in close by Patrick Polivka, and Marc McNulty hit a goal post, which kept the game tied.

The final goal came late in the third when the Cougars got unlucky on a clearing effort. The puck ended up on the stick of Brett Cote who fired a shot past Brett Zarowny from the right point.

In the end, the Cougars outshot Victoria 33-28, and finished one-for-six on the power play. Victoria only had one power play, and were unsuccessful on that attempt.

Victoria’s victory evens the season series at 1-1 with these two teams scheduled to face each other twice more next weekend in Prince George. The Cougars record now sits at 9-12-1-3 while Victoria improved to 13-12.