Despite the road miles behind them, the Wheat Kings didn’t look exhausted against a difficult Prince George Cougars’ squad. The bounces, however, didn’t go their way.
Jaxon Jacobson and Carter Klippenstein scored, and Carson Bjarnason stopped 21 shots, but the Wheat Kings fell 3-2. Joshua Ravensbergen was excellent for the Cougars, stopping 29 shots, many of them right from the mouth of the crease.
“It was a pretty solid effort,” said head coach and GM Marty Murray. “Prince George is a really good team, it’s three-in-four for us and they haven’t played since last week. We knew they were going to be hungry coming out, but overall it’s a pretty solid road game, just disappointing how it ended off.”
The first period was a textbook road period by the Wheat Kings. Even with a four-minute double minor against them, they allowed only five shots by the Cougars all period long, while piling up 13 of their own. They also hit a post, but could not find the opening goal.
The two teams traded power plays in the second, and it was the Wheat Kings who broke through at last. After some scrambly play on the break-in Matteo Michels fired a shot on goal that produced a rebound, and Jacobson was ready and waiting for it at the bottom of the right circle to open the scoring.
The Cougars tied the score on a power play of their own. Ben Riche leaned into a shot from the top of the umbrella that beat a screened Bjarnason for the 1-1 marker.
The first even strength goal of the game went the way of the Wheat Kings. Brady Turko fed it back to Klippenstein on the rush, and Klippenstein snapped it home. The goal required video review but it was determined Joby Baumuller was driven into the net by a Cougars’ defenseman and the goal stood.
The Cougars tied the score at even strength, as a slap pass from Terik Parascak was tipped in front by Aiden Foster. Then, a goal review went against the Wheat Kings. The Cougars scored a go-ahead goal that appeared to be offside, but after a conference the officials upheld the goal by Koen Ziemmer.
Though the Wheat Kings pressed with the net empty, Ravensbergen stood tall and kept the Cougars in the lead. The Wheat Kings finish the road trip 3-4, and come home to face the Red Deer Rebels on January 29.
