Rodgers Gets His 20th In Loss To Kamloops

By 250 News

Alex Rodgers had another two point night for the Prince George Cougars to give him 20 goals in a season for the first time in his WHL career.  But Matej Bene scored two short-handed goals, including the winning goal for Kamloops, in a 4-3 victory over the Cougars Sunday at the Interior Savings Centre.

The Cougars were playing the third game in as many nights for the second consecutive weekend, looking to bounce back from 3-2 and 7-2 losses to the Everett Silvertips on the previous two nights.  The Blazers had Saturday off, after hammering Vancouver Friday 6-1.  The Cougars, though, would get the opening goal when Rodgers netted his 20th goal at 5:43, set up by Nick Buonassisi.  But the Blazers responded with the first of two short-handed goals from Bene, an unassisted tally at 8:18 to tie the game at one.  Kamloops out-shot the Cougars 15-13 in the opening frame.

The Blazers would get their first lead of the night at 9:09 on the power play, when Mark Hall notched his fifth goal of the season past Cougars starter Kyle Jahraus.  But Jaroslav Vlach put home his 7th of the season on a redirection of a shot from the blue-line off the stick of Petr Senkerik, to tie the score at two paster Blazers goalie Kurtis Mucha.  Parker Stanfield also drew an assist on the goal at 11:43, giving him a three game point streak.  The teams went to the dressing room still knotted at two, with the Blazers having a 10-7 edge in shots.

In the third period the Blazers would take the lead back at 8:34.  Chase Schaber connected for his 18th of the season for a 4-3 Blazer lead, then Bene got his second short-handed goal, and 5th tally of the season, at 10:05 to put the Blazers up by a pair.  James Dobrowolski answered with his 18th goal of the season for the Cougars, which was also his 11th power play goal, to cut the Blazers lead to 4-3 at 14:49.  Rodgers and Spencer Asuchak would get the assists, giving Rodgers 13 points in nine games against his former club this season.  But that was as close as the Cougars would come, dropping their record to 11-54-1-2.  With the win, the Blazers improve to 32-32-2-4, putting them two points back of Kelowna for sixth in the Western Conference.  The Blazers out-shot the Cougars 9-7 in the third and 34-27 in the game.  Both teams had one power play goal, with the Cougars getting eight power play tries to the Blazers six, but the two short-handed goals by Bene proved to be the difference in the game.  The Cougars and Blazers will meet again for the 10th and final time this Friday in Kamloops.

The Cougars will return home to face the Chilliwack Bruins Tuesday and Wednesday for the Cats final home games of the season.  Tuesday is the expected return of star forward Brett Connolly, who hasn't played since December 5 because of a hip injury.  Also expected to play will be 15-year old forward Troy Bourke, the Cougars second round pick in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.  Bourke finished second in scoring in the Alberta Major Midget Hockey League this past season for the St. Albert Raiders.  Puck drop is 7:00 and tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 250-564-5585.

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