High school hockey spirit is alive and well in Prince George.
No better way to start the Christmas school vacation than a renewal of the rivalry on ice that was Friday’s 20th annual Spirit of Hockey & Community Cup game at CN Centre.
A two-decade tradition that has the Prince George Polars taking on the College Heights Cougars on the last day of school before Christmas gives the winning team hockey bragging rights that last a whole year and on Friday the Cougars laid claim to that title with a 4-1 victory in front of rowdy crowd of about 2,000 elementary/secondary students.
Ryan Peasgood opening the scoring for the Cougars late in the first period and Maddox Moreland added the total at the 12:30 mark of the second.
It remained a 2-0 game until the final minute of the second period when Carter Birks took a pass from teammate Owen Johansen and snapped the puck into the net behind goalie Payton Panetta, on loan from the Northern Capitals U18 triple A female team.
Johansen made it 4-0 four minutes into the final period.
Judah Rayner started in goal for the Polars and Planetta took over the crease about five minutes into the second period.
The Cougars started with Aidan Bouchard in goal and switched to Jacob Stewart halfway through.
Sam Bogle spoiled the College Heights shutout, scoring the only goal for PGSS with 1:14 left on the clock.
PGSS has won the Spirit Game Cup 12 of the 20 years.
The Polars won it in 2022 and 2023. The game was not played during the pandemic years, 2020 and 2021.
School resumes Jan. 6.
