The Southwest Cougars put a team together for the 2018/2019 season back in early September and it came to a close on Friday night in Winnipeg when the Wild shut the Cougars out for the second game in a row with a crushing 1-0 loss.
The Cougars came out flying and dominated play, out hitting the Wild for the second game in a row in another very fast game. The teams combined for 13 minor penalties on the night but neither team was able to score with the man-advantage.
The Wild finally beat Randy Cooke at 8:46 into the second period when Dean Gorchynski scored the only goal of the game when he banged in a loose puck. Carson Cherepak turned aside 23 Cougar shots for his second shutout in a row. Randy Cooke was equally up to the task turning aside 25 Wild shots.
The game had plenty of chances at both ends with both teams playing for the win, but in the end the Wild prevailed and will now move on to play the Brandon Wheat Kings in the AAA league final.
The Cougars will have eight players graduate from AAA hockey. Goalies Randy Cooke (Souris), Caden Wilson (Brandon), forwards Rylan Gudnason (Killarney), Tanner Clyne and Tyson Pringle (Boissevain), d men Austin Clyne (Boissevain) and Cody Shearer (Wawanesa), and Callum Fortin (Souris).
These players combined to play just over 800 games of AAA hockey for the Southwest Cougars and the team wishes them all the best in life and in hockey.
