FORT WAYNE, IN - The Chicago Cougars Premier unit wrapped up their stint at the Fort Wayne Spacemen Showcase with mixed results, showcasing both their defensive prowess and offensive struggles across two competitive matchups. Let's dive into the action.
Chicago Cougars Blank Gamblers in Morning Tilt
The day kicked off with a dominant showing as the Cougars (5-5-0-0) shut out the Motor City Gamblers in a convincing 3-0 victory. Netminder Cameron Boville stood tall between the pipes, turning aside all 13 shots he faced to record his first shutout of the season.
Forward Damien Calzada played hero for Chicago, lighting the lamp twice including a power-play tally in the third period. The first-year Cougar opened the scoring midway through the first frame, connecting with linemates Rocco Romita and William Stornello to give Chicago the only goal they would need.
Nikolay Ouriashev added some insurance late in the first, notching his first of the season off feeds from Brett Tumbrink and Alexander Musyakevych to push the lead to 2-0.
Despite a parade to the penalty box that saw Chicago take six minor penalties, the penalty kill unit stood strong, successfully killing off all six Gamblers power plays. Calzada would add the final dagger on the man advantage with 7:15 remaining in regulation.
Evening Heartbreaker Against MJDP
The momentum couldn't carry into the evening tilt as the Cougars dropped a tight 2-1 decision to the Metro Jets Development Program (MJDP). Despite outshooting their opponents 28-24, Chicago struggled to solve MJDP netminder Eliot Duerr, who turned in a stellar 27-save performance.
MJDP's McKenna Baker III opened the scoring just past the midway point of the first period, converting on a play from the Belley-Pelletier brothers. Christopher Kobayashi would extend the lead to 2-0 early in the second with what proved to be the game-winner.
Brett Tumbrink gave the Cougars life with his third of the season at 8:17 of the middle frame, but that would be all the offense Chicago could muster. A late power-play opportunity in the second period went unconverted, and MJDP locked things down defensively in the final frame, holding Chicago to just three shots in the third.
The split leaves the Cougars at .500 through their first 12 games of the season. They'll look to build on the positives as they continue their road swing November 21st in Mount Clemens, Michigan.
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