The Victoria Cougars are in the gold medal final of the Cyclone Taylor Cup, junior B hockey provincial championship game today (April 14), 2:30 p.m. in Courtenay.
The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League champion Cougars (2-1) will face the Pacific Junior Hockey League champion Richmond Sockeyes (3-0). It's the second year in a row that the Cyclone Taylor Cup will be won by a team from either the Pacific or Vancouver Island junior B leagues. The Abbotsford Pilots beat the Cougars in double overtime last year.
To get in today's final the Cougars won 6-1 over the host Comox Valley Glacier Kings on Saturday night.
Captain Brody Coulter scored twice and added a pair of assists to lead the Cougars. Also scoring for the Cougars, who held period leads of 3-0 and 6-1, were Brandon Egli, Sam Rice, Kelyn Opel, and Jake Stolz.
The Glacier Kings did not get its first shot on goal until the game was 14 minutes old.
Cougars goalie Evan Roch had his shutout bid ruined when a sharp angle shot from Tyson Rennie.
The Cougars also won on Friday, 1-0 over the Castlegar Rebels of the Kootenay league. The tournament opened with a Sockeyes defeating the Cougars 5-2 on Thursday. The Glacier Kings face the Rebels this morning for the bronze medal.
The winner of the gold medal game between the Cougars and Sockeyes will advance to the Keystone Cup held April 17-21 in St. Malo, Manitoba.
- with files from Peter Kung/Victoria Cougars