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Cariboo Hockey Recap: Northern Capitals finish second in league after splitting final games

Teams featuring players from Quesnel, Vanderhoof and Williams lake were in action
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The Cariboo Cougars and Northern Capitals include players from Quesnel, Williams Lake and Vanderhoof. (File Photo)

Submitted by Jason Peters, Cariboo Hockey

The Northern Capitals put the wraps on a successful regular season with a win and a loss in Vernon.

In BC Elite Hockey League action, the Capitals defeated the Thompson-Okanagan Lakers 4-3 on Saturday but lost Sunday’s rematch 5-2.

The Caps finished the schedule with a record of 22-7-0-3, good for second place in the five-team U18 female division. The division-leading Fraser Valley Rush skated to a mark of 28-3-1-0.

In the league scoring race, Capitals forwards Hailey Armstrong and Brooklyn Hutchings finished third and fourth respectively. Armstrong had 21 goals and 26 assists for 47 points in 28 games, while Hutchings scored 23 times and added 22 helpers for 45 points in 28 outings.

The league is expected to release playoff information this week.

READ MORE: Northern Capitals captain and defender signs on with Trinity Western Spartans

In the final weekend of the BC Elite Hockey League regular season, the U18 Cariboo Cougars stole a point from one of the top teams in their division.

On Saturday in Abbotsford, the Cougars battled the Vancouver Northwest Hawks to a 1-1 tie. On Sunday, the Hawks prevailed 4-2.

The Cougars finished the season in fifth place in the 10-team division with a 15-16-2-3 record. The Hawks, meanwhile, ended up second at 25-8-2-1.

Decker Mujcin led the Cougars offensively this season with 19 goals and 41 points in 34 games. Those numbers landed him seventh overall in the league scoring race.

The league is expected to release playoff information this week.

READ MORE: Quesnel Kangaroos oust Williams Lake Stampeders in CIHL playoffs

The U15 Cariboo Cougars put the heat on the Okanagan Rockets in their final games of the BC Elite Hockey League regular season.

On the ice at Kin 1, the Cats pushed the Rockets to overtime on Saturday but lost 3-2. On Sunday, the visitors escaped with a 6-4 victory.

The Cougars completed the regular schedule in ninth place in the 10-team division with a mark of 6-21-0-3. The Rockets – currently in fourth place at 19-9-0-0 – will finish their regular season next weekend with a pair of road games against the South Island Royals.

Brody Wood (six goals, nine assists), Grady Gustafson (two goals, 13 assists) and Brett Peebles (five goals, 10 assists) all finished with 15 points for the Cougars this season. Wood and Gustafson appeared in all 30 games while Peebles played in 21.

Four teams in the division have season-ending games to play this coming weekend.

The U17 Cariboo Cougars couldn’t pluck the feathers from the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds.

In Abbotsford, the Cats lost both games of a BC Elite Hockey League doubleheader, 5-1 on Saturday and 8-2 on Sunday.

In the 10-team division, the Cougars hold down seventh place at 14-19-0-1. The second-place Thunderbirds elevated their record to 25-5-1-3.

The Cats will finish their regular season this coming weekend in North Vancouver with a pair of games against the fifth-place Vancouver Northwest Hawks (21-13-0-0).

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: cassidy.dankochik@quesnelobserver.com



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