Jermaine Loewen grabbed the bull by the horns and led the Kamloops Blazers to victory.
With less than five minutes remaining in the third period and the Cougars up 2-1, the 20-year-old power forward screamed down the wing and beat netminder Taylor Gauthier to even up the score before salting away a 4-2 win with an empty-netter sending 5,178 fans at the CN Centre to the exits.
Kamloops earned the right to host a tie-breaker game on Tuesday against the Kelowna Rockets at Sandman Centre after the Rockets edged out the Vancouver Giants 3-2 in overtime to keep their post-season hopes alive as well.
Either way, Loewen said to My PG Now, the Blazers weren’t going to be denied the opportunity to continue on with the season.
“We got down there and I just jumped over the boards and I said no quit as we needed to just go out there and work as hard as we can to the end and I was just proud of the guys. Zary made a beautiful pass to me in motion and I just snapped it as fast as I could.”
As for the win and your in scenario against the Rockets, Loewen believes it will come down to who simply wants more on the ice.
“We have to go out there and will ourselves to victory. It’s going to be a dog fight, they are going to do everything they can to win and we’re going to do the same.”
“It’s kind of crazy how the script is being written and this last week has been one of the craziest in my junior hockey career for sure and how we were down seven points only to come back and force the tie-breaker, the boys should a lot of grit and the boys will go out swining, I know that for sure.”
.@blazerhockey forward Jermaine Loewen with @mypgnow after 4-2 victory on Saturday over @PGCougars in @TheWHL action @CNCentre #CityofPG #sports #BlazerNation #NorthernUprising pic.twitter.com/AHboGGv9LT
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) March 17, 2019
Speakng of Zary, he broke the hearts of the Cougar faithful scoring on a shorthanded breakaway past Gauthier to put the Blazers up for good with just 2:45 left.
“We’re all ready for that game against Kelowna, I can’t think of anything better than a game 69 scenario against them and it’s going to be good.”
The season-ending loss for the Cougars seems to be a product of how the 2018-19 WHL season went, finishing well out of the playoffs in addition to blowing yet another lead late in the game.
The result is especially difficult for Cats defender Cole Moberg who feels worse for the three graduating 20-year-old players in Josh Curtis, Mike McLean and Joel Lakusta.
“Those guys what they have done for me as a player and as a person especially playing with Lakusta has been amazing. I can’t thank them enough for what they have done and I hope everything goes well in the future with what they do.”
“Obviously, were not going to have the same team next year because we will have guys that won’t be back, it’s going to be sad to see them go because we have been together for so long and you get really close with them.”
.@cmobes23 of @PGCougars speaks to @mypgnow following 4-2 loss to @blazerhockey @CNCentre in @TheWHL action om Saturday #CityofPG #sports #BlazerNation #NorthernUprising pic.twitter.com/jKiEFeKjAV
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) March 17, 2019
Dylan Garand picked up the 29-save victory in goal for Kamloops filling in for injured starter Dylan Ferguson.
This was the Blazers 11th consecutive victory at CN Centre dating back two years.
Prince George failed to qualify for the WHL playoffs for the second consecutive year finishing with a record of 19-45-5-3 bringing up the rear in the Western Conference.
The Blazers finish the regular season with a 28-32-6-2 mark, identical to Kelowna.
The winner of Tuesday’s tie-breaker game will face the Victoria Royals in round one of the playoffs.
.@ConnorZary leads @blazerhockey hockey to 4-2 win Saturday over @PGCougars in @TheWHL #CityofPG #sports #BlazerNation #NorthernUprising pic.twitter.com/2cydSJJfFW
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) March 17, 2019
? WHL Highlight of the Night ?
March 16, 2019@ConnorZary of @blazerhockey & @markliwiski13 of @Kelowna_Rockets#WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/2xgmuqE2RY— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 17, 2019