Friday night in Prince George, the Cougars fell 4-1 to the Kamloops Blazers in a penalty-filled contest. Colin Smith had two goals and an assist for Kamloops while Klarc Wilson supplied the lone tally for the Cougars. Joel Edmundson broke a 1-1 tie mid-way through the second with a shorthanded goal which would ultimately prove to be the game winner.

Early in the first the Blazers took the lead when Colin Smith knocked home a Kale Kessy rebound for his 39^th of the season. Smith’s goal came just 41 seconds in.

The Cougars responded well, and had a great chance to tie when Colin Jacobs and Troy Bourke skated in on a two-on-one. Jacobs fed Bourke down the right wing, but Bourke was robbed point-blank by Cheveldave’s glove.

Just one minute into the second period the Cougars found their equalizer when Klarc Wilson converted off a Chase Witala pass. Wilson’s ninth came on a power play.

Both teams traded chances through the first 10 minutes of the second, and the Cougars penalty-killers came up big when they killed off a 39 second five-on-three.

Unfortunately the momentum turned at the half-way point when the Cougars went to a power play. Off a turnover in Kamloops territory, the Blazers came back two-on-one and Joel Edmundson fired home a Colin Smith pass for his ninth of the season. That shorthanded tally switched momentum back in favor of Kamloops who kept it for the remainder of the period.

Late in the second Dylan Willick would make it 3-1 off a deflection from Tyler Hanson’s point shot. 23 seconds later Colin Smith scored his second to round out the game’s scoring.

The third period was filled with penalties, and though the Cougars outshot Kamloops 15-6, they were unable to beat Cole Cheveldave again.

The Cougars and Blazers combined for 164 penalty minutes through 60 minutes. Kamloops finished zero-for-eight on the power play while the Cougars went one-for-six. Kamloops outshot the Cougars 33-27.

With nine games remaining, the Cougars (18-37-2-6) still trail eighth placed Everett by five points, and will look to inch closer when they host the Tri-City Americans on Monday night.