The BC Major Midget Kootenay Ice playoff hopes are all but over after a pair of losses to the Cariboo Cougars on the weekend at the BCMML Showcase in Kelowna.
Ten Major Midget teams gathered in Kelowna for the event that showcases Major Midget players to junior and college scouts.
The Ice lost 7-0 on Saturday and 5-2 on Sunday dropping 17 points back of the eighth place Valley West Giants for the last playoff spot with only 10 games to play.
In Sunday’s match, the Ice’s effort was much improved as the team trailed just 3-2 midway through the second period. Kootenay defenceman and Whitehorse product Joshua Austin scored his first goal of the season and fellow d-man Kaleb Percival of Nelson notched his fourth, but a decided edge in penalties kept the Ice offence at bay for much of the game.
Brendan Pigeon scored twice for the Cariboo, while Curtis Hammond, Alexander Ochitwa and John Herrington added singles in the 5-2 victory as the Cougars improved their record to 30-19-6-5.
Pigeon scored his team-leading 21st goal and 36th point and what proved to be the game winner in the 7-0 shutout win on Saturday. Ochitwa had a three-point game, as seven different scorers lit the lamp for the Cougars.
The two wins for the third-place Cougars pull them to within three points of the league-leading Fraser Valley Thunderbirds that split with the South Island Royals on the weekend.
The Ice travel to Kamloops this weekend to play the Thompson Blazers and return to home ice on Feb. 16 and 17 for two tilts against the Kelowna Rockets.
