BY COLE WALDIE
Prince George Cougars
The Prince George Cougars dropped their third consecutive game, falling 4-2 to the Vancouver Giants on Sunday at the Langley Events Centre. Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Aiden Foster provided all of the Cougars’ offence with two goals. Goaltender Peyton Shore was terrific in relief, making 23 saves and allowing just one goal over two periods.
The Cougars had some chances in the opening period but could not solve Giants goaltender Burke Hood. Vancouver scored three times in the frame. Crosby Mateychuk opened the scoring with his first WHL goal at 9:19. Derek Thurston added a power-play goal at 13:46, and Mathis Preston scored on a one-timer during another Giants power play at 15:38 to make it 3-0 after 20 minutes.
Shore replaced Alex Levshyn to start the second period and made several big stops for the Cats. Cougars captain Corbin Vaughan then dropped the gloves with Giants captain Derek Thurston at 9:46. Vaughan received an additional two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct, but Foster scored shorthanded at 10:18 to put Prince George on the board. Dennis Emisbe restored Vancouver’s three-goal lead at 18:36.
In the third, Foster scored his second of the night at 14:09 after strong work from linemates Jett Lajoie and Kayden Lemire, cutting the deficit to 4-2. The Cougars pulled Shore and had a six-on-four power play with the net empty, but could not score again.