Brogan O’Brien’s regular season debut as head coach of the U17 Cariboo Cougars was a winning one.
With an in-your-face forecheck and offensive prowess, Cariboo pounded the Greater Vancouver Canadians into submission at Kin 1 this weekend skating to wins of 5-2 (Saturday) and 11-1 (Sunday) in B.C. Elite Hockey League action.
On Saturday, the Cougars shorthanded approach sparkled on the ice leading to a pair of goals from Ryland Lemp and Garrett Harrop, giving them a 2-0 after 20 minutes.
Cariboo continued to put its foot on the gas pedal in the second period. Second-year forward Brett De Gans accepted a Warner Callender pass, deflecting the loose puck past GVC goalie Kai Patrick Russell.
Quesnel’s Nigel Nitschke made it 4-0 Cougars as his shot past Patrick-Russell lit the lamp creating a brief moment of euphoria among the Kin 1 crowd.
Domenic Piperni broke the shutout bid of Cougars goalie Jayden Avery at 3:35 of the second period on the power-play.
Less than a minute later, De Gans scored his second of the game connecting on a Trysten Schmidt feed for a 5-1 lead at the end of two periods.
Misha Krutous added a single in the third period to make the score a little more respectable for GVC.
Cariboo outshot the Canadians 50-28. Avery made 26 saves in the win while Patrick-Russell turned aside 45 Cougars shots in defeat.
On Sunday, the Cariboo jumped out to a 6-1 lead after the first period and didn’t look back against their Lower Mainland rivals.
Kale King (2), Austin Schultz, Lachlan Conway-Adams, Nigel Nitschke and Madden Weldon gave the goal light an intense workout in the opening 20 minutes.
Garrett Harrop notched his second goal of the weekend at 9:45 of the middle frame extending the Cariboo lead to six.
The O’Brien coached Cougars kept its foot the gas pedal in the third, filling the net four more times. Trysten Schmidt added a pair while Linkoln Philpotts fired a hard blast to put Cariboo into double-digits.
King completed his hat-trick late in the third assisted by Conway-Adams and Kesler Linklater.
Clay Lamb secured his first BCEHL victory between the pipes, making 35 saves.
Cariboo improves to 2-0 on the season and travels to Burnaby next weekend when they face the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs Saturday (3:30pm) and Sunday (10:45am) from the Scotia Barn.
In U18 action, Cariboo welcomes the Thompson Blazers (0-2) Saturday (3:15pm) and Sunday (10am) from Kin 1. Thompson fell to the Okanagan Rockets over the weekend by scores of 4-3 and 6-2.
The under-15 Cougars begins its 2026-27 season with the league showcase in Langley.
Cariboo plays twice on Friday against VNE (Noon) and the Vancouver Island Royals (7:30pm).
On Saturday, the youngest Cougars lock horns with the Valley West Giants at 11:15am followed by a Sunday morning tilt against the Royals at 8am.
Lastly, the U18 female Northern Capitals lift the lid on their season September 25-27th with a four-game showcase in Surrey.
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