Prince George, B.C. – For just the second time all season the Prince George Cougars have dropped both games of a home double-header. Saturday night in front of nearly 3800 strong, the Cougars dropped a 6-4 decision to the Kelowna Rockets. Tyson Baillie and Justin Kirkland combined for three goals and two helpers while Cougars captain Sam Ruopp responded with a goal and two assists. Jansen Harkins and Jesse Gabrielle also recorded multi-point games for the Cougars. Rockets goaltender Broden Salmond secured his first WHL victory between the pipes with 30 saves.

After one period the Rockets held a 2-1 lead. Dillon Dube opened the scoring for Kelowna at 9:04, but just 28 seconds later the Cougars answered when  Brad Morrison knocked home his 22^nd of the season when Sam Ruopp’s point shot bounced off the backboards and out in front to Morrison who did the rest. The Cougars were given three straight power plays to end the first period, but it was the Rockets who took the 2-1 lead when Cole Linaker struck shorthanded with 1:08 remaining in the period.

2:29 into the second the Rockets led 4-1 thanks to quick goals from Justin Kirkland and Tate Coughlin. That spelled the end of Nick McBride’s night who left the game after surrendering four goals against on 10 shots faced.

Cougars captain Sam Ruopp notched his fourth of the season at 8:15 to pull the Cougars back within two, and the second period ended with the Cougars trailing 4-2, despite outshooting Kelowna 25-16.

Justin Kirkland made it 5-2 Kelowna at 10:13, but the Cougars responded with two quick markers less than a minute later. First it was Joel Lakusta who buried his second off a shot from the right point, and then Jared Bethune grabbed his 16^th 13 seconds later to move the score to 5-4 Kelowna with just under half a period still to go.

Kelowna iced the game at 14:53 when Tyson Baillie scored his 32^nd of the season off the rush to make the score 6-4, which is how the game would end.

The final shots faved the Cougars 34-28. Neither team scored on the power play with the Cougars going zero-for-three while the Rockets went zero-for-one. Kelowna did have a shorthanded goal though.

Now the Cougars will get a full week of practice before hosting the 2016 Memorial Cup hosts, the Red Deer Rebels for a Friday-Saturday double header starting on the 19^th of February.