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WHL Prince George Cougars

Comeback Falls Just Short Against Winterhawks

March 7, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Prince George Cougars News Release


Prince George Cougars in action against the Portland Winterhawks
Prince George Cougars in action against the Portland Winterhawks
(Prince George Cougars)

PRINCE GEORGE, BC - The Prince George Cougars hung in right to the end with one of the top teams in the WHL. Ty Kolle broke a 3-3 tie late in the third period, as the Portland Winterhawks held off the Prince George Cougars 4-3 Tuesday, at the CN Centre.

Josh Maser and Ethan Browne scored 18-seconds apart in the second period to erase a 2-0 deficit, and Ilijah Colina scored a highlight reel goal in the third, to tie it at three, before the late game winner by Portland. Taylor Gauthier stopped 39 of 43 shots in the Cougars crease. Browne was named the game's second star, after scoring his first WHL goal and he finished with two points.

Joachim Blichfeld, Reece Newkirk, Skyler McKenize and Ty Kolle scored for the visitors, and Cole Kehler stopped 20 of 23 shots for the win.

Blichfeld opened the scoring midway through the first period, sliding a backhand out front that slid between Gauthier and the post at 13:53. Ryan Hughes fanned on his shot, but the puck rolled to Blichfeld, who put it past Gauthier.

Newkirk doubled the Winterhawks lead inside the final minute of the first period. The Winterhawks' forward picked up the puck on the wall and spun a shot from the left-wing that beat Gauthier over the glove at 19:03.

Prince George battled back late in the second, scoring on back-to-back shifts to quickly erase a 2-0 deficit. First, Josh Maser made it 2-1, scoring on a one-timer in front, after a nice feed from Josh Curtis at the side of the net; Maser scoring his 27th at 18:13. On the next shift, Ethan Browne took the puck away from a Winterhawks defender in the corner, then made a b-line to the net, and from the goal-line he tucked the puck up and over Kehler's shoulder at 18:31; Browne's tying goal was his first WHL.

Portland went ahead again, early in the third period, as Skyler McKenzie finished off a three-on-two rush. Cody Glass passed it across to McKenzie, who squeezed the puck through Gauthier's pads from the left-wing circle at 2:19; that goal ending a nine-game drought for McKenzie.

The lead didn't last long for the Winterhawks, as their former teammate struck less than a minute later to tie 3-3. Ilijah Colina had a dazzling rush down the left-wing, that he finished off by dancing around one defender, before roofing a shot over Kehler as he was falling; Colina scoring his 11th 51-seconds later.

Portland pressed late and found a go-ahead goal with just 3:07 left on the clock. Ty Kolle picked up the puck and from the right-wing circle, fired a shot along the ice that snuck through Gauthier.

Prince George pulled the goalie inside the final two-minutes but couldn't comeback a third time, as the Winterhawks managed to thwart the late push.

FINAL SCORE: 4-3 Winterhawks

Shots: 43-23 Winterhawks

Power-Plays: Cougars 0-3 Winterhawks 0-3

Three Stars: 1) Dennis Cholowski 2) Ethan Browne 3) Ilijah Colina

The line of Browne, Colina and Vladislav Mikhalchuk combined for two goals and four points. Joel Lakusta extended his point streak to six-games with his assist Tuesday; he now has eight points in those six games. Former Cougar Dennis Cholowski had a pair of assists in the win.

Prince George (23-35-4-4) wrap up their six-game home stand on Wednesday against the Winterhawks. It's "Teen Wednesday," as tickets are just $5 for teenagers 13 to 19-years-old, courtesy of Brownridge Insurance and Earls Kitchen & Bar. Tickets are available at the TicketsNorth box office.

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Images from this story

Prince George Cougars in action against the Portland Winterhawks
Prince George Cougars in action against the Portland Winterhawks
   



Western Hockey League Stories from March 7, 2018


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