BY COLE WALDIE
Prince George Cougars
The Prince George Cougars earned their 43rd victory in a resounding 6-3 triumph against the Vancouver Giants, Saturday at the CN Centre. This win extends the Cougars’ impressive streak to 13 consecutive games with points.
Dynamic performances by Zac Funk and Ondrej Becher fueled the Cougar offense, with each player notching two goals. In the crease, Joshua Ravensbergen secured his 25th win of the year, making 13 saves.
The Cougars asserted their dominance early in the opening period, with Becher firing his 23rd goal of the season just over a minute into the game. Becher struck again at 4:13, capitalizing on a turnover and extending the lead to 2-0. Vancouver managed to narrow the gap when Ty Halaburda netted his 20th goal of the year at 5:13, bringing the score to 2-1. However, Prince George quickly responded with two quick goals after the media timeout. Riley Heidt scored a one-timer at 7:19, and 19 seconds later, Zac Funk netted his 62nd goal of the year. This offensive burst prompted the substitution of goaltender Brett Mirwald, as Matthew Hutchison stepped in for the remainder of the game. At the end of the first period, Prince George held a commanding 4-1 lead.
The Cougars continued to extend their lead in the second period, with Funk scoring a power-play goal at 7:54, and Matteo Danis adding his 8th of the year at 10:16, bringing the score to 6-1 in favour of the Cougars after 40 minutes of play. Prince George’s defensive prowess limited Vancouver to just 10 shots through two periods.
Although Vancouver managed to score two goals in the third period, courtesy of Jakob Oreskovic and Adam Titlbach, it was not enough to overcome the Cougars’ lead. Prince George secured another victory, maintaining their position at the top of the Western Conference as they embark on a busy four-game road swing, starting Wednesday in Kelowna.