Prairie Hockey Academy close out Elite 15 season with solid CSSHL championship showing

The Prairie Hockey Academy Elite 15 Cougars were one of a handful of teams from across Canada who were able to end their season on a positive note this past week.

The positive being that they were at least able to play their final games – and put together a winning record in the process.

With Hockey Canada shutting down the season coast-to-coast on Friday due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Cougars were able to cap their campaign at the Canadian Sport School Hockey League Elite 15 consolation championships in Penticton, B.C. with a 2-1 record.

The Cougars took a 3-2 victory over Pursuit of Excellence to go along with a 6-2 win over Okanagan Hockey Academy and 4-2 loss to OHA Edmonton in the three-game round-robin event.

PHA had advanced to the tournament after posting a 13-21-2-0 record and finishing in 11^th place in the 14-team Elite 15 league, missing the main championship tournament by only four points.

Cougars 3, POE 2

Prairie Hockey Academy opened the event on Tuesday with a hard-fought one-goal win, with McKale Paul scoring the game winner with 2:59 to play in the third period.

Tate Schofer and Beau Helmeczi also scored for the Cougars, who found themselves in a scoreless draw through the first and tied 1-1 through two.

Bodee Weiss made 20 saves in the PHA goal, the Cougars had 36 shots on Pursuit.

Cougars 6, Okanagan 2

A three-goal third period combined with an impressive 44-save showing from Dazza Mitchell paced PHA to their comfortable victory on Wednesday.

Carter Wickenheiser, Zackery Somers and Jackson Allan all scored for PHA in the final frame, while McLaren Paulsen had their lone first period goal to go along with single markers from Schofer and Caden Drury in the second.

PHA and Okanagan were tied 1-1 after the first, the Cougars led 3-1 through two.

The Cougars recorded 32 shots on the night and killed off six of seven Okanagan power plays.

OHA Edmonton 4, Cougars 2

Things didn’t go as well for PHA the following morning, as they’d be unable to make a 1-0 first period lead stick, surrendering three goals in a seven-minute span of the second on their way to taking the loss.

Wickenheiser had the lone goal of the first, while Dryden Jeannot scored their other marker in the second.

Weiss did all he could to keep the Cougars in the game while facing 50 shots, while the Cougars had 27 on OHA Edmonton.