The Prairie Hockey Academy Cougars won two of their first three games at a Canadian Sports School Hockey League Elite 15 showcase tournament in Edmonton this weekend.
The Cougars opened the weekend with a 4-2 loss to OHA Edmonton on Thursday but rebounded with a 5-4 win over OHA on Friday and a 5-4 overtime win against Northern Alberta on Saturday.
PHA is currently 22-12-0 on the season and sit in fifth place in the CSSHL Elite 15 standings, five points back of Rink Hockey Academy for fourth.
OHA Edmonton 4, PHA 2
Austin Reschny scored both goals for Prairie Hockey Academy as they trailed 2-1 after the first and 4-2 through two.
Nathan Airey got the start in goal and turned aside 25 shots.
PHA 5, OHA Edmonton 4
The rematch less than 24 hours later was another back and forth contest that saw Easton Ediger score the game-winning goal with 6:49 left in the second period.
Atley Calvert scored twice in the first to give PHA a 2-0 lead, but that edge wouldn't last five minutes into the second frame as Edmonton scored three times in the first 4:31 to take a 3-2 lead.
Caelan Fitzpatrick and Noah Barlage got two of those back before the period was out, though, and after OHA tied the game with 7:05 remaining in the period, Ediger scored 16 seconds later to give the Cougars an edge they'd never relinquish.
Chase Coward stopped 45 shots to earn the win, the Cougars fired 43 at OHA Edmonton (17-16-1).
PHA 5, Northern Alberta 4 (OT)
Max Wanner scored 1:25 into overtime to give Prairie Hockey a come-from-behind win in their first game with Northern Alberta Xtreme.
The Xtreme led 1-0 after the first and 3-1 through two, but Kirk Mullen – fresh from his appearance with Team Sask at the Canada Winter Games a day earlier – Wanner and Atley Calvert all scored in the third to send the contest into OT.
Wanner finished the game with three goals, Mullen with two assists to go along with his single marker.
Airey had a 32 save performance in the victory, while PHA had 30 shots on Northern Alberta.
The Cougars closed out their four-game set with a rematch against the Xtreme on Sunday morning.
