BY COLE WALDIE
Prince George Cougars
The Prince George Cougars used a thrilling third period, overtime, and shootout to come from behind and edge the Red Deer Rebels 4-3 in front of 4,304 fans at the CN Centre.
Cougars’ forward Ondrej Becher emerged as the hero of the game, scoring two pivotal goals and securing the victory with a shootout goal.
The Red Deer Rebels showcased their prowess in the opening period, netting two goals within a 28-second span. Evan Smith notched his first of the season at 5:50, followed by Talon Brigley’s fifth of the season at 6:18. The Rebels took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, outshooting the Cougars 13-8.
Although limited to three shots in the second period, the Cougars capitalized on a power-play opportunity. Zac Funk’s shot deflected off a Rebel defender and found the back of the net at 14:42, narrowing the Rebels’ lead to 2-1 after two periods.
The tide turned in the third period, led by the exceptional performance of Ondrej Becher. The Czech forward scored his 11th goal of the season on the man advantage at 14:33 and followed up with a spectacular wrist shot from the right circle, giving the Cougars their first lead. In the final minutes, defenseman Hunter Mayo’s one-timer tied the game 3-3, forcing it into overtime.
Both teams traded Grade A chances in the 3-on-3 overtime period, but the deadlock persisted, leading to a shootout. Koehn Ziemmer and Ondrej Becher secured the victory for Prince George, while Rebel forward Kai Uchacz and Jhett Larson fanned on their shootout attempts. With this win, the Cougars notched back-to-back victories, improving their WHL-best record to 13-5.