Friday night in Medicine Hat, the Prince George Cougars fell 5-3 to the Medicine Hat Tigers. Curtis Valk broke a 3-3 tie in the first minute of the third to help secure the win. Colin Jacobs had all three Cougars goals in response.

Myles Koules made it 1-0 for the Tigers just 1:22 into the first period. Trevor Cox’s point shot was stopped but Koules grabbed the rebound and stuffed it past Mac Engel for his 15^th of the season.

Ryan Hanes did his part to spark the Cougars with an early fight against Medicine Hat’s Jacob Doty.

After failing to score on their first power play attempt, the Cougars received another man advantage halfway through the first and this time were rewarded. Troy Bourke made a perfect pass from the right wing circle to Colin Jacobs who was waiting beside the goal. Jacobs lifted a shot past Marek Langhamer to tie the game at one.

Just over two minutes later Colin Jacobs struck again. This time it was immediately off a faceoff in the Tigers zone. Jacobs won the puck forward and fired a shot on goal that went in off the stick of Marek Langhamer. That goal put Jacobs to the 20-goal mark for the second time in his WHL career.

Late in the period the Cougars took a penalty, and the Medicine Hat Tigers capitalized. Elgin Pearce scored from in close at the 18-minute mark to make it 2-2 after the first 20 minutes.

5:47 into the second period Colin Jacobs completed his hat trick when he took a Carson Bolduc pass and beat Langhamer to the glove side. For Jacobs it was his second hat trick of the season, and more importantly the Cougars had their lead back.

Late in the second penalties once again cost the Cougars. Jake Mykitiuk and Colin Jacobs were both penalized for different infractions, which gave Medicine Hat a lengthy five-on-three opportunity.

Hunter Shinkaruk tied the game for the Tigers when he skated from the right wing corner all the way into the slot area and beat Mac Engel to the glove side. Once again, these teams were tied, and that’s how the game would stay until early in the third.

28 seconds into the final period, a defensive miscue behind the Cougars goal led to Boston Leier and Curtis Valk combining on what would turn out to be the eventual game-winner. Boston Leier faked one way around the Cougars goal and then passed the other way to a wide-open Valk who notched his 36^th goal  to put his team on top. Valk would finish the game with a goal and two assists.

Logan McVeigh then clinched the win with a nice backhand effort off a two-on-one late in the third period.

The Tigers finished the game two-for-six on the power play while the Cougars were one-for-three. The final shot total favored the Cougars with a 40-30-end result.

Tomorrow night the Cougars (17-33-2-6) return to action in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes.