Sports stats



WHL Prince George Cougars

Cougars' Late Game Comeback Falls Short in Kelowna

October 14, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Prince George Cougars News Release


KELOWNA BC - The Prince George Cougars came close, but fell short in another thriller, falling 5-4 to the Kelowna Rockets on Friday night at Prospera Place.

The Rockets wasted no time setting the tone in the first period. Gabriel Szturc struck his first of the season with a one-timer that slid through the legs of Prince George's goaltender, Ty Young, at 2:57. The Rockets extended their lead during a power-play opportunity with Caden Price firing a shot from the left circle, once again beating Young, at 14:54. This opening stanza was marked by intense play and a total of 20 minutes of penalties, yet the Rockets maintained their lead after the first period.

The Cougars mounted a comeback in the second period. At 13:36, Carlin Dezainde showcased his skill by extending his point streak to an impressive 10 games and firing a top-corner shot past Kelowna's goaltender, Jari Kykkanen, during a shorthanded opportunity, narrowing the score to 2-1. However, the Rockets responded with authority just 25 seconds later. Dylan Wightman delivered a power-play marker, and Andrew Cristall further bolstered Kelowna's lead with a breakaway goal at 16:27, putting the Rockets comfortably ahead at 4-1 after two periods.

The Cougars displayed unrelenting determination in the final period, notching two quick goals. First, Zac Funk capitalized on a power-play opportunity just six seconds into the period. Then, Koehn Ziemmer rifled a puck past Kykkanen at 1:38, narrowing the gap to a single goal, with the score at 4-3. However, the Rockets responded yet again, as Dylan Wightman scored a short-handed goal during a Cougars' power-play, reclaiming the two-goal lead. Despite a late power-play goal by Zac Funk for Prince George, the Rockets held on for a thrilling 5-4 win.

FINAL SCORE:

PG 4 KEL 5

FINAL SHOTS:

PG 38 KEL 35

POWER-PLAYS:

PG: 1-5 KEL: 1-3

GOALTENDING:

PG: Ty Young (57:28) - 20/25 | KEL Jari Kykkanen (60:00) - 35/39

3 STARS:

1.KEL: Gabriek Szturc (1-1-2)

2.KEL: Dylan Wightman (2-0-2)

3.KEL: Jari Kykkanen (35 Saves)

Check out the Prince George Cougars Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from October 14, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central