The Cariboo Cougars hit the 20 win mark on the season with a 7-3 win at home over the North Island Silvertips Saturday.

It was a special game for Cougar forward Eli Jarvis who scored twice and added an assist in his 100th game with the team.

It was a slow start for the Cats who managed a relatively low five shots on Silvertips goaltender Liam Giroux through the first half of the opening frame.  But after failing to execute on their first power play of the game, the Cougars connected late on their second attempt as Jarvis scored his 11th of the season from Ryan Forbes and Logan Styler to open scoring.  Just over a minute later, Styler made it a 2-0 Cougar lead as the Cats outshot the visitors 19-8 through 20 minutes.

The Silvertips got on the board early in the second as Patrick Bajkov got an unassisted marker to pull within one.  But that's the closest North Island would come.  Braiden Epp scored back to back goals three and a half minutes apart midway through the frame to make it a 4-1 game. 

Liam Blackburn got his 17th of the season 91 seconds into the third from Epp while Scott Cullen scored his second of the season at the 12:17 mark to go up 6-1.  Jarvis then scored his second of the game with four and a half minutes left before the Silvertips added two late ones, including one with 0.8 seconds on the clock.

Nathan Warren made an impressive 36 saves for his 14th win of the season, eclipsing his total from last year.  The Cougars outshot the Silvertips 51-39 going 1/4 on the power play and killing off all four penalties against.

Blackburn finished with four points, leapfrogging into second place in league scoring with 49 points on the year.  Styler and Epp each had a three point game while defenceman Jordan Low earned his first assist as a Cougar playing as a call-up for the injured Bryan Allbee.

The game was also the first for defenceman Cole Slaney and forward Keith Redden playing as affiliates from the bantam tier 3 Quesnel Thunder.

The Cougars record now stands at 20-7, four points back of the idle Okanagan Rockets and eight back of the leading NW Giants.  The Cats go for the season series sweep of the Silvertips Sunday morning at 10:15am.

The Cariboo Cougars host the North Island Silvertips to close out a six-game home stand before heading on the road the next two weekends.

The Cats are looking for more consistency at home having dropped four out of their last six games in Prince George including a 4-2 loss to the Valley West Hawks last Sunday.  The Cougars need the wins in order to maintain their third place in the BCMML now six points behind second place Okanagan, eight back of the leading Giants, and just three points ahead of the Vancouver NE Chiefs.

The Cougars swept the Silvertips in Nanaimo back in late October with 4-2 and 5-2 wins in what was a gritty, defensive battle for much of the weekend. 

The Silvertips have struggled this season with a 6-14-4 record holding down the eighth and final playoff berth.  But with solid goaltending and some young talent up front the team likely deserves a better fate.

Coming off a strong Mac's tournament and two points each last weekend, Cougar forwards Liam Blackburn and Braiden Epp sit third and fourth, respectively, in league scoring and have a chance to climb the statistics ladder.

Saturday's contest is set for 1:00pm with Sunday's final regular season matchup at 10:15am.  Both games are at CN Centre and both will be available live at cariboocougars.ca.

Joining the Cougars just days before heading to Calgary for the Mac's Tournament, Thane Anderson is eager to make the most of a second chance with the team.

The 16-year old forward was one of the Cougars final cuts from camp having played several exhibition games in Penticton before joining the Midget Tier 1 Cougars in early September.

Anderson was added to the Cougars list of affiliated players and got a chance to practice with the team throughout the first few months of the season.  He was called up to play in arguably the team's two biggest games of the season to date against the Vancouver NW Giants in mid December just before the BCMML Christmas break.  Then a week later the phone rang.

"It was a it of a surprise when (Trevor) Sprague asked me to join the team, it wasn't much of a question for me I knew I'd have to do this if I wanted to further my career and I knew I wanted to do this as well," said Anderson.

One of the Tier 1 Midgets leading scorers, Anderson is one of Prince George's most skilled forwards with speed and incredibly gifted hands.  While tough to leave his former team, Anderson knew it was the right move for him and his future next year with the Cougars and beyond.

"It's definitely going to help me for next year so I'm used to the speed, the pace of the game and know how it works up here and it'll just help me get ready for next year when I might have to fill a bigger role on the team."

At the Mac's, Anderson notched a pair of assists while getting accustomed to his new line and teammates.  Used to being an offensive leader, Anderson is facing a first having to adjust to playing a different role for the time being as he begins his Major Midget career.

"I'd definitely like to move into some more ice time and just get used to the guys, used to the coaching staff, used to the way the team works going into next year."

Cariboo Cougars captain Ryan Forbes will remain in BC for the foreseeable future as he has committed to play for the BCHL's Nanaimo Clippers starting next season.

The 17-year old Kitimat native has been heavily scouted leading up to his decision, including attention from multiple teams at the Mac's Midget Tournament in Calgary over the holidays.

"Our scouting and coaching staff are excited to make this announcement today," said Clippers Head Coach and General Manager Mike Vandekamp.

"After watching the first half of the season and the recent Mac's Midget Tournament in Calgary, we were all in agreement that Ryan was one of the top prospects we wanted to pursue for next season. He is a strong two way centre who brings competitiveness and intelligence to the ice every game.  He is a great character person who we believe will fit perfectly into our culture.  We are confident that Coach Sprague and the Cougars program will help Ryan be ready to make an immediate impact next season. We would like to welcome Ryan and his Family to the Clippers Family."

Through 26 games this season the 6'0" 185 pound centre has 10 goals and 15 assists along with 14 penalty minutes.

"I'm extremely excited about my future with the Clippers organization," said Forbes.

"My family and I feel it's an excellent fit and I hope to make an impact and contribute to the team's success in any way I can."

Congratulations Ryan!