Cougars outlast Vikings for thrilling overtime victory

February 4, 2012 - The Cougars men’s hockey team avenged an overtime loss to the Augustana Vikings last night with an overtime win of its own tonight, outlasting the Vikings 3-2.

The Vikings, who creep into second place in the ACAC by taking the Cougars to overtime for the second night in a row, didn’t have much time to savour their 6 – 5 overtime win over the Cougars last night.

In the first period the Cougars came out aggressively, outshooting the Vikings 13 – 9 and keeping the puck in the Vikings end for much of the period.

Even though MRU found itself having to kill two power plays during the first twenty minutes, the constant pressure they applied finally paid off at the 18:49 mark when Eric Galbraith scored unassisted for the first goal of the game.

Both teams played each other closely in the second period. The Cougars’ power play woes continued during this stretch as they missed some opportunities, including a five on three.
Although the Cougars continued to pressure the Vikes by keeping the puck in their end and outshooting them 8 – 4, the Vikings made the most of what little opportunities they had culminating in a tying goal at the11:06 mark in the second.

Adam Johnson scored the goal for the Vikings assisted by Mathew Foster and Kenny Bradley.

More tough defense was on display in the third period as the Cougars stifled two more Vikings’ power plays and the teams played to a 1 – 1 deadlock until the waning minutes of the third.

That was until the Vikings’ Kenny Bradley added a goal to his assist earlier in the evening with little more than three minutes left in the game.

Shortly after the Vikings took the lead for the first time, the Cougars caught a break with a power play and 2:39 left in the game.

And with just 1:41 left Justin Daigle scored the tying the goal making it 2 – 2, but he wasn’t done yet.

Daigle hit the winning goal just over three minutes into the extra frame.
 
“I’m on cloud nine right now,”Daigle said after his two consecutive goals carried the Cougars to victory in its second overtime game in as many nights in a row.

It was fitting that Daigle hit a power play goal to send it into overtime as the Cougars have struggled with a man advantage as of late.

“We did a lot of work last week on the power play, we scored two last night and obviously tonight it gets us the tying goal and gives us the opportunity to win the game,” says coach Jean Laforest.

“We’re really, really happy that our numbers are starting to creep up just prior to playoffs because we have to have our power play obviously to help us out, that and penalty kill,” Laforest says. “I thought tonight the PK and power play were really, really strong … obviously the practice that we had this past week worked.”

With the victory over Augustana and a loss by SAIT, MRU increases its first place lead to six points heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Coach Laforest says that the Vikings offer a good test for the tough competition that lies ahead for the Cougars in the playoffs.

“For us the Vikings are probably the most tactically sound team in the conference, you always have to be on your toes when you play them so for us this was just like a playoff weekend,” he says.

The Cougars take on the Concordia Thunder in an away and home series before wrapping up the regular season home and away against arch-rivals SAIT.