Saturday night in Kennewick, WA the Prince George Cougars ended their four game US road trip with a 7-2 loss at the hands of the Tri-City Americans. Parker Bowles and Jordan Topping combined for four goals and seven points for the Ams while Chase Witala and Brad Morrison responded with the goals for Prince George, who played 40 strong minutes of hockey before the Ams took over in the third.

Just 69 seconds into the game Chase Witala scored for the Cougars to give them the early lead. Brogan O’Brien’s backhand wrap around attempt didn’t go in, but the puck found it’s way to the side of the net for Chase Witala who deflected it off goaltender Nicholas Sanders and in for his 36^th of the season.

Five minutes later Parker Bowles tied the game for the Ams when he crashed the Cougars’ net and was able to deflect home a Tyler Sandhu rebound. The first period ended with the score tied 1-1 and the Ams held a slight edge in the shots category: 13-10.

Both teams would swap goals in the back half of the second. First it was Morgan Geekie who snuck a low shot past the left pad of Nick McBride and home for his 10^th and the first Tri-City lead of the game. Less than five minutes later though the Cougars had an answer of their own when Brad Morrison pounced on a Colby McAuley rebound and buried it for his 24^th goal of the season. The two teams seemed destined to head into the third period tied but with 45 seconds left in the middle period Jordan Topping restored the Tri-City lead with his 29^th off a Dylan Coghlan rebound. Shots after two were 27-20 favoring the Americans.

Parker Bowles pushed the Tri-City lead to 4-2 just 2:21 into the third on a power play. Vladislav Lukin, Jordan Topping and Nolan Yaremko would then strike quickly within a 4:49 span to push the score 7-2.

Jared Bethune had two great chances for the Cougars in the final 10 minutes, but he hit the crossbar on his first attempt and was then denied on a breakaway by Sanders, who finished the night with 28 saves on 30 shots faced while at the other end Nick McBride made 31 saves on 38 shots faced.

The Cougars record now sits at 33-36-3-1 and their 70 points have them three points up on the Kamloops Blazers for third in the B.C. Division. Up next for the Cougars, four extremely important games at home starting Tuesday against the Vancouver Giants.