The Oahe Capitals exploded for four first-period goals and the Aberdeen Cougars never recovered Sunday afternoon at the Odde Ice Center. The host team finished the contest strong, but was unable to get over the hump in a 6-3 boys’ hockey setback.

The Capitals set the tone early with a goal just 45 seconds into the contest and were off an running, adding three more goals in the opening 17 minutes. Oahe added a goal to start the second period to push its lead to 5-0 before the Cougars responded with three of the final four goals for the final margin of difference.

“We didn’t have a great start to the game. It’s a game we felt like we had an opportunity to win and just didn’t play a full game,” said Cougars coach Jeremey Backous. “Our effort in the third period was better, but we can’t put ourselves in a four-goal deficit to start the game and expect to come out on top.”

Austin Dabney scored in the second period for the Cougars, before Devon Fischbach and Seth Malsom added third-period goals.

Oahe outshot Aberdeen 35-22 in the contest.

The Cougars slipped to 6-7-1 in league games this season and missed out on a chance to be over .500 on Sunday.

“It was definitely a missed opportunity,” Backous said. “I hope we can learn from it and be ready to play from the opening puck drop.”

The Cougars head to Fargo, N.D. for a tournament this weekend.

Oahe Capitals 4 1 1 – 6

Aberdeen Cougars 0 1 2 – 3

First Period: 1, OC, Aidan Dozark (Ashton Griese, Jarron Beck), 16:15; 2, OC, Beck (Dozark, Barret Schweitzer), 12:41; 3, OC, Schweitzer (Griese), 6:03; 4, OC, Andre Carbonneau (Dylan Dodson), 2:49.

Second Period: 5, OC, Schweitzer (Dodson), 14:22; 6, AC, Austin Dabney (Micah Kranzler), 5:48.

Third Period: 7, OC, Dodson (Corbin Beastrom), 14:56; 8, AC, Devon Fischbach (Levi Little, Kayden Wika), 10:04; 9, AC, Seth Malsom (Fischbach, Jaxon Danielson), 7:14.

Shots on Goal: Oahe Capitals 35; Aberdeen Cougars 22.

Goalies: Oahe Capitals, Colin Lee (19 saves); Aberdeen Cougars, Samuel Casper (25 saves), Colton Townsend (4 saves).