Cougars Drop a 9-7 Score to Seattle.
Tuesday night in Prince George, the Cougars dropped their first game of 2014, a 9-7 decision to the Seattle Thunderbirds. Ryan Gropp paced Seattle with three goals and an assist while Todd Fiddler and Zach Pochiro combined for five goals and nine points for the Cougars in response.
Seattle led the game 3-2 after one, but it was the Cougars who would strike first. Just 1:28 into the first, Klarc Wilson snuck into the slot and ripped home a Todd Fiddler pass for his 15th of the season. The lead would be short-lived as Ryan Gropp tied the game for Seattle at 4:36 on a power play off a rebound.
But back came the Cougars at 11:54 on a power play of their own. Todd Fiddler attempted to slide a pass across the crease, but instead the puck bounced right back to him, and Fiddler just tucked it home and in for his 20th goal of the 2013-2014 season, briefly restoring the Cougars 2-1 lead.
Once again on a power play, Seattle would strike. Alexander Delnov tied the game at two at 16:34 of the first. He managed to poke home an Adam Henry rebound past a sprawling Cougars defenceman to secure his 17th goal of the season. Then with only 42 seconds remaining in the period, Seattle took a 3-2 lead when Calvin Spencer beat Ty Edmonds on a wrap around. It was a lead that Seattle wouldn't surrender, but boy did they come close.
Evan Wardley and Roberts Lipsbergs both scored for Seattle in the first 1:12 of the second to open up a 5-2 lead. Brad Morrison responded with his fourth of the season for Prince George at 14:52 to inch back within two, but under two minutes later, Ryan Gropp countered with his second of the game, and Seattle had their three goal advantage back.
That lead would be pushed to four just 67 seconds into the third when Adam Henry blasted home a shot from the top of the right circle on a Seattle power play to make the game 7-3.
Back came the Cougars. First it was Zach Pochiro who converted a Todd Fiddler pass at 1:46 to make it 7-4. Then Fiddler went hard to the net, and wacked home a Klarc Wilson pass at 3:54, and Seattle's four goal lead had become just two.
Scott Eansor changed that at the 6:16 mark after he deflected home a point shot from Jerrett Smith. Eansor's second of the season restored Seattle's three goal lead, and it would prove to be a vital goal, because the Cougars were far from finished.
Zach Pochiro netted his second goal of the period from the right point at 9:57 on a power play, and then just under three minutes later Todd Fiddler finished his hat-trick when he knocked home a Klarc Wilson cross-crease pass for his 22nd of the season, and his fourth hat-trick as a Cougar.
That left 7:07 for the Cougars to try and find the tying goal, but the Thunderbirds were able to hold them off.
Ryan Gropp sealed the game with an empty-net goal, completing his hat-trick at 19:04 of the third. For Gropp it was his first career WHL hat-trick, and a four-point game. Roberts Lipsbergs, Alex Delnov, Shea Theodore and Evan Wardley also chimed in with multi-point nights for Seattle.
On the other side, Todd FIddler's three goals and two helpers led the way for the Cougars, while Zach Pochiro's two goals and two assists gives him a new season high for goals with 15.
Seattle finished the game a perfect three-for-three on the power play while the Cougars went two-for-five. Seattle ended up with nine goals on 27 shots while the Cougars potted seven on 28 attempts.
The Cougars loss (16-22-2-3) coupled with Tri-City's win over Kamloops moves them five points back of the Tri-City Americans for eighth in the Western Conference. Now the Cougars will look to bounce back tomorrow night in the rematch with Seattle at the CN Centre.
Comments
Where do we start?? our goaltending was very weak as was our penalty kill… the seatlle goalie was playing his 1st whl game as I understand it, but our 3rd period surge was not enuff . the trade deadline is fast approaching —we must pick up a goaltender –even a 20 yr old–we then would have to release the injured koosterman–attendance was 1254 — this number includes the many season ticket holders who were not there–I noticed the asst. coach was not on the bench for the 3rd period, if that has any significance..I believe Tanner Lichensky has voluntarily left the team..I wonder how we will appear to the rest of Canada when we have some of the cougar game featured on Hockey Day in Canada.I can hear the ribbing from my eastern Canadian family already.
well – rumor has it that what has been bitched about/commented on for years now will finally happen – The times they are a’changing!
9-7? Is this a football score or a hockey score? Where were the goalies?
When you eliminate those season ticket holders who were not at the game, you are probably looking at 1000 people.
Not very impressive, and speaks volumes to the interest in the WHL in Prince George.
Time to move the WHL somewhere else, put the Spruce Kings in the CN Centre, and use the Coliseum for additional public skating and Junior Hockey.
Palopu – I don’t think that will happen. Despite the low attendance, having the WHL here in town is very good for our city and moving the Spruce Kings in to go down a step wouldn’t increase attendance. Lets hope that all those people who refused to go to games due to ownership issues will return to the stands once the new ownership is in place
Cougars are in a sweetheart deal with the City until 2018. I doubt any moves will happen until after then.
Just be thankful it’s not the same kind of deal Abbotsford has with The Heat. Abby taxpayers had to cough up 1.66 million to keep things afloat as The Heat have the worst attendance in the AHL. They are only 4 years into a current 10 year deal.
reader54 – what do you know that the rest of us don’t?
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