PHA Elite 15s split weekend games

In the Prairie Hockey Academy Elite 15 Cougars game this past weekend, the Cougars picked up a 4-3 shootout win over the Nationals on Saturday before dropping a 7-4 decision in the rematch Sunday afternoon.

The split saw Prairie Hockey sitting with a 12-7-0 record, good enough for fifth in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League standings, two points back of Rink Academy. The opening contest on the weekend saw PHA trailing 2-0 after the first period, before a second-period rally saw the Cougars battle back and take the lead.

Connor McGrath, Austin Reschney and Kirkland Mullen all scored in the span of 3:28 to put the Cougars ahead 3-2 before Rink tied the game with 1:57 left in the period. After a scoreless third and overtime, Ethan Peters scored the lone goal of the shootout. Chase Coward made 46 saves to earn the win.

The rematch the next day didn’t go as well for the Cougars as they scored six goals in the first period, outshooting PHA 17-4 in the process. The Cougars battled back to get as close as 6-4 after the second, but that’d be as close as they’d get as Rink added an empty-netter late in the third.

Reschny, Atley Calvery, Max Wanner and Chris Otterson had the goals for PHA. Nathan Airey stopped 27 shots in the loss.

The Elite 15 Cougars are back in action during the Dec. 14 weekend when they travel to Edmonton for a four-game set.