Cougars Come Home Down 2-0 To Rockets

By 250 News

The Prince George Cougars have to do what the Kelowna Rockets have done through the first two games of their Kal Tire Western Conference Quarter Final; hold serve on home ice.  The Rockets scored five unanswered goals in a 7-4 victory Saturday to take a 2-0 series lead.

The Rockets opened the best of seven series with a 4-1 win Friday night, but the Cougars came out physical in the opening period of game 2 at Prospera Place.  The Cougars picked up the first goal on a power play, when Sena Acolatse let a one-time shot fly from the left point on a Cougars power play that glanced off a Rockets defender right to James Dobrowolski.  The Cougars forward stopped the puck with his right skate then fired the biscuit home at 11:27 for a 1-0 Cougars lead.  Martin Marincin also picked up an assist on the goal, the only tally of the first period.  The Cougars out-shot Kelowna 9-6.

The Rockets quickly changed the situation in the opening two minutes of the middle frame when Zak Stebner on the power play and Colton Sissons scored 45 seconds apart to give Kelowna a 2-1 lead.  But the Cougars responded when Wilson Dumais picked up a rebound from Adam Brown and passed the puck in front of the Rockets goal that went off a Rockets defender trying to take the pass from Taylor Makin and into the goal to tie the game at two.  Greg Fraser and Acolatse picked up the helpers at 7:52.  The Cougars restored the lead at 9:24 when Nick Buonassisi raced behind the Rockets goal and passed to Acolatse, who had pinched in from the right side.  Acolatse blasted a one-time shot past Brown on the blocker side for a 3-2 Cougars lead.  Fraser picked up his second assist of the period on the goal.  Then hard work from Spencer Asuchak led to a two goal cushion for the Cougars.  Asuchak chased his own rebound behind the Rockets goal and fed a pass in front that banked in off Jaroslav Vlach at 15:24, giving the Cougars a 4-2 lead.  But less than a minute later, Rockets Captain Tyson Barrie scored to cut the Cougars lead to 4-3 heading to the dressing room.  The Cougars out-shot the Rockets 12-10.

The Cougars took a penalty in the third period that proved costly.  Cody Chikie beat a screened Ty Rimmer to tie the game at four at 7:04, letting the shot go from the slot after quick Kelowna passing.  Then Jessey Astles fired a shot over Rimmer's glove hand at 9:55 to put Kelowna up again, 5-4.  Kevin Smith at 18:32 and Geordie Wudrick at 19:07 into an empty net rounded out the scoring in a 7-4 Rockets win.  The Cougars were out-shot 16-9 in the third and 32-30 in the game.  The Cougars went 1-for-3 on the power play and the Rockets were 2-for-5.

The Cougars host games 3 and 4 of the series Tuesday and Wednesday, both starting at 7:00pm.  Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 250-564-5585.

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us