Ty Young's 35 Save Performance Lifts Cougars Over Hitmen
Published on December 29, 2023 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Prince George Cougars News Release
PRINCE GEORGE BC - The Prince George Cougars triumphed over the Calgary Hitmen with a 3-2 victory on Thursday night at the CN Centre. The standout performance featured exceptional goaltending from Ty Young and a late third-period goal from Hudson Thornton.
The game kicked off with an early twist as Carter Yakemchuk, a top prospect in the upcoming NHL draft, received a game misconduct just 24 seconds into the game for a check from behind on former teammate Matteo Danis. Seizing the opportunity, Keaton Dowhaniuk capitalized on the ensuing power-play at 3:21, firing home his first goal of the season and giving the Cougars an early 1-0 lead. The Cats extended their lead to 2-0 at 8:48, with Zac Funk sneaking a goal past Ethan Buenaventura, confirmed after a review.
Despite a second period where Calgary outshot Prince George 15-6, the Cougars maintained a 2-1 lead, thanks in no small part to Ty Young's stellar goaltending. The Hitmen narrowed the gap with a goal from Ethan Moore at 11:21, but Young's standout performance kept the Cougars ahead heading into the intermission.
The tension heightened in the third period when the Hitmen's 20-year-old sniper, Sean Tschigerl, scored on the power-play at 7:36, leveling the score at 2-2. Calgary continued to apply pressure, but Ty Young stood strong, shutting the door on any further attempts. In a dramatic turn of events at 18:20, Riley Heidt's offensive zone faceoff win and a setup from Bauer Dumanski allowed captain Hudson Thornton to unleash a one-time blast from the blue-line, securing a late lead and, ultimately, the win for the Cougars.
With this thrilling victory, the Prince George Cougars improve to 25-10-0-0 on the year, maintaining a perfect 10-0-0-0 record when coming off a loss. The team now sets out on a five-game road trip, starting on Saturday in Kamloops.
FINAL SCORE:
CGY 2 PG 3
FINAL SHOTS:
CGY 37 PG 23
POWER-PLAYS:
CGY: 1-2 PG: 1-3
GOALTENDING:
CGY: Ethan Buenaventura - 60:00 -20/23
PG: Ty Young - 60:00 - 35/37
3 STARS:
1.PG: Ty Young (35 Saves)
2.CGY: Sean Tschigerl (1-0-1)
3.PG: Hudson Thornton (1-1-2)
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