Patrick Cozzi scored twice and Logan Neaton made 25 saves in net as the Prince George Spruce Kings beat the Brooks Bandits 4-1 to take a 3-2 series lead in the Doyle Cup.
Cozzi opened the scoring late in the first period, picking up a puck that bounced off the end boards and burying it to give his team a 1-0 lead after one.
Brooks came out strong in the second and were rewarded when defenceman Brandon Scanlin’s point shot beat a screened Neaton to tie the game. It didn’t take long for the Spruce Kings to respond as team captain Ben Poisson took a beauty feed from Dylan Anhorn and one-timed it home less than a minute later to re-establish the one-goal lead heading into the third.
The Bandits actually outshot PG 11-9 in the third, but it was the Spruce Kings who scored twice as Corey Cunningham and Cozzi with his second of the game gave Prince George the 4-1 advantage.
After facing 26 shots and only allowing the one goal, Neaton was named the game’s first star. Brooks goalie Pierce Charleson made 27 saves in the loss.
With the Spruce Kings up 3-2 in the series, they have a chance to clinch their first-ever Doyle Cup title in Game 6 on Saturday night back in Prince George.
