BY COLE WALDIE
Prince George Cougars
KENT, WA – The Prince George Cougars surged in the third period, netting four goals to secure a decisive 5-2 triumph over the Seattle Thunderbirds on Tuesday at the accesso ShoWare Center.
Terik Parascak sealed the victory with a power-play goal, striking with just two minutes remaining in regulation. Joshua Ravensbergen stood tall in net, claiming his 16th win of the season with an impressive 25 saves.
The game ignited with a spirited bout between Aiden Foster and Brayden Holberton at 2:33. Shortly after, Nico Myatovic, a Prince George native, notched his 4th goal of the season at 7:12, providing the Thunderbirds with an early lead. Despite being outshot 14-11 in the first period, Seattle maintained a 1-0 advantage.
The Cougars drew level on a delayed penalty, as captain Hudson Thornton capitalized on a scramble in front of the net to knot the score at 1-1 at 4:07. However, Seattle responded swiftly, with Antonio Martorana finding the back of the net just 65 seconds later. Despite outshooting Seattle 15-9 in the second period, the Cougars trailed 2-1 heading into the final intermission.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the third period as the Cougars dominated play. Chase Pauls’ wrist shot found its mark through traffic, beating Scott Ratzlaff to level the score at 2-2 at 6:33. Despite relentless pressure from the Cougars, Ratzlaff stood firm. However, late in the period, the Cougars capitalized on a power-play opportunity, with Terik Parascak burying a rebound at 18:00 to seize the lead. The Cougars then sealed the victory with two empty-net goals, courtesy of Riley Heidt at 18:57 and Zac Funk at 19:26.
With the win, the Cougars improved their record to 32-14-0-2 and will now turn their focus to the Vancouver Giants for a showdown on Friday night at the Langley Events Centre.