Win and you're in.
The Cariboo Cougars knew anything less than victory over the Mississauga Rebels would mean the end of their season.
The Rebels, having already clinched first place and a spot in the Telus Cup semifinals, bent but did not break Friday night at CN Centre. Outshot and outplayed badly by a determined bunch of Cougars, they snuffed the life out of the Cats, holding them to a 2-2 tie which ended the hopes of the host team winning the midget hockey national championship.
But man, was it close. The Cougars finished with a flurry that fell just short of giving them a shot at a rematch with the Rebels in today's semifinals.
Down 2-0 with less than 13 minutes left in the third period, the Cougars' offence finally sparked to life. Ty Kolle, a healthy scratch the previous two games for taking one too many selfish penalties, gained the puck in the face-off circle and picked the corner with a high shot from a sharp angle to make it a 2-1 game.
The Portland Winterhawks prospect also got the tying goal, 2:30 later, on a Cougars' power play. Kolle took the puck at full flight behind the net and came out on the wraparound, dipping his shoulder just enough to fool goalie Christian Purboo before he ripped a high shot in behind the Rebels goalie.
"Killer instincts kicked in and I just happened to pop two goals," said Kolle. "We needed one more, unfortunately, but just couldn't get that one. I think every single guy fought hard and we deserved to win this tournament but things didn't go our way."
"We were all over them and we deserved to win that one but that's just the way it goes."
The Cougars' power play, which ended up 1-for-9 in the game, had one last stand with 11 minutes left to try for the winner but couldn't connect. They managed to get goalie Marcus Allen to the bench in the last minute but could not get the job done with the extra attacker.
"We dominated the game and Ty Kolle came in after learning some things the hard way and got two goals," said Cougars head coach Trevor Sprague. "He knows now that he just needs to worry about playing hockey and being one of the best players on the ice.
"When you're punching guys in the head and more worried about a guy hitting you than worried about getting the puck back, it doesn't work in the game of hockey now. It's about power play and special teams. He came in here today with the right attitude and wanting to love the game. He's dominant player and when he's focused on just his team and the logo in front, he can play on my team any day of the week."
The Cougars got off to a quick start and had the Rebels pinned in their own zone for a good chunk of the first 12 minutes. They took advantage of two penalties to build a 14-1 shot advantage but couldn't put the puck past Purboo. The 17-year-old from Oakville, who came into the game with a tournament-leading .930 save percentage, having allowed just six goals in the previous four games, played exceptionally well. He was busy most of the game, stopping 34 of 36 shots as his team was outshot 36-16.
The Rebels had very little offensive-zone time all game but made the most of it. They got all the offence they needed from Patrick Sebben and Evan Benwell when they scored 3:19 apart in the first period. Sebben took advantage of a screen in front of Cougars goalie Allen and slid a low shot along the ice that snuck in just inside the post with 12:56 gone in the first period.
The Cats' rotten luck continued at the 16:15 mark. The play was headed up the other way when Rebels' Quentin Degano held the zone at the blueline and chipped the puck forward and it deflected off a Cougar stick right to Benwell, standing right on Allen's doorstep. He went wide through the crease and tucked the puck into the net.
The Cougars dodged a bullet to start the second period when they killed off a two-man disadvantage for a full two minutes without allowing a shot. But much like the first period, they had very little puck-luck around the net in the middle frame.
Purboo had a lot to do with that. While they allowed the Cougars to control the puck around the perimeter, the Rebels rarely allowed their opponents to clog the middle of the ice or set up the screen in front. When they did get through with a shot, Purboo could see it coming and had the angles covered.
Kolle came close to scoring with three minutes left in the second period when he dragged the puck out of the corner and let go a hard backhander. But Purboo played it well, shooting across the crease to kick out his pad, taking full advantage of his six-foot-four height. The Cougars had seven power-play chances through two periods but failed to connect.
"In the scheme of things, hockey is just a game, I'm more upset that I have to head home (to Quesnel) and never get to play with these guys again," said 17-year-old Kolle. "They're easily the best group of guys I've ever known and I'd go to the wall for any of those guys and hope I stay friends with them the rest of my life.
"Undisciplined penalties were definitely a key factor for us losing our games and later on in the tournament we dealt with that and just became a hardworking unselfish team. I think if we had done that right from the start we would have made it farther than we did today."
The Cougars had much to celebrate this season, setting a team record for points while winning the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League regular season and playoff titles. But they will be haunted by the sinking feeling of not performing up to their capabilities in the national tournament. They set the tone as the most physical team in the Telus Cup but paid a stiff price with too many trips to the penalty box which cost them points.
"That's a lesson we're going to have to learn as a coaching staff moving forward here," said Sprague.
"We broke records this year, we did a good job, and the way we played that third period we needed to play that (way) the whole time we were here. I'm proud of these guys that are in the room. We're a great team and it will be tough to match this."
The happiest team in the building Friday night was the Cape Breton West Islanders (2-3-0), who cheered the tie result which allowed them to finish with one more win than the Cougars and hang on to fourth place to claim a spot in the semifinals today at 3:30 p.m. against the Rebels (3-1-1).
In the other semifinal today at 11:30 a.m., the second-place Saint-Francois Blizzard (3-2-0) will face the third-place Regina Pat Canadians (2-2-1). The winners advance to the gold-medal game Sunday at 3 p.m., preceded by the bronze-medal game at 11 a.m.
