The Prairie Hockey Academy Cougars threw a heck of a scare into the Notre Dame Hounds on Wednesday night, but weren’t quite able to complete an impressive comeback in Canadian Sport School Hockey League U15 Prep Division action.
Trailing 5-2 heading into the final frame, the Cougars scored three goals but would end up dropping a 6-5 decision at the Barkman Arena in Caronport.
Notre Dame took a 3-1 lead out of the first period, with Noah Thul scoring PHA’s lone goal.
Ryder Pisiak got the Cougars back within one 5:40 into the second, but the Hounds would add a pair in the latter half of the frame to take their three-goal lead into the third.
There, Keirin Osberg and Kanyan Unger scored power play goals in the first 7:20 to make things plenty interesting down the stretch. Notre Dame would get a key insurance marker with five minutes to play, though, and Osberg would close out scoring with 21 seconds remaining.
Jody Baumiller had a hat trick for Notre Dame, while Ayden Pimm scored twice and finished with three points. Kade McIvor scored their other goal.
The game didn’t see a lot of five-on-five action, as the Cougars were 3-for-10 on the power play and Notre Dame 1-for-8.
Cameron Beisal had a 46-save showing in goal for PHA, while Xavier Bussiere had 22 stops for Notre Dame.
The Cougars are now 3-9-0-1 on the season and sit 16th in the 17-team league, four points back of St. George’s School and 10 up on winless West Vancouver Academy.
They’re back in action Saturday, Jan. 29 in Edmonton against Northern Alberta before facing Edge School on Sunday.
The U16 Prep Cougars are coming off a 2-1 loss to Notre Dame on Jan. 20 and are 6-16-0-0, good enough for ninth place in the 12-team league, four points up on Notre Dame and 14 back of OHA Edmonton.
They’re back in action this weekend for a three-game set at Rink Academy in Winnipeg, with games Friday against Edge Academy, Saturday against OHA Edmonton and Sunday against Northern Alberta.
The U17 Prep Cougars have had an extended break from CSSHL league action, last playing on Dec. 13 in a 5-0 loss to Notre Dame. After getting off to an outstanding start to the season -- including a 9-0-0-2 run through their first 11 games -- PHA has run into hard times as of late with nine straight losses to sit 9-9-0-2 in the 12-team league. They now sit in sixth place, eight points back of St. George’s School and eight up on Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna.
The U17 Cougars will face the Hounds in a pair of games this weekend, travelling to Wilcox for contests on Friday and Saturday.
In the U18 Prep division, PHA went winless this past weekend in a three-game set against Rink Academy at the Barkman Arena, falling 9-3 Friday, 6-3 Saturday and 6-1 Sunday. They’re now 6-18-0-1 on the campaign and sit 14th in the 17-team league, two points back of Notre Dame and one up on Okanagan Hockey Academy.
The U18 Cougars return to action this weekend for a home-and-home series with Notre Dame, with the opener on Friday night at the Barkman Arena.
