Arguably more remarkable than the Cariboo Cougars’ position atop the 11-team B.C. Hockey Major Midget League standings is how they’ve gotten there.

Last month, they lost their top scorer, Lynden Martel, to the B.C. Hockey League’s Prince George Spruce Kings. They’ve battled injuries, the flu bug, and bringing new faces into the lineup.

Through it all, the Cougars have managed 10 wins in their first 14 games. After a pair of home-ice victories over the Okanagan Rockets on the weekend, the squad improved its record to 10 wins, four losses and zero ties (10-4-0). With 20 points, they enter this weekend’s two-game set in Kamloops against the Thompson Blazers a point ahead of the second-place Vancouver North East Chiefs (9-2-1). With the two losses, the Rockets dropped to third at 8-3-1.

“Three weeks ago, we put a goal in place that we only lose one game in the next six games,” Cougars head coach Trevor Sprague said following a 4-1 victory over the Rockets on Sunday at the Coliseum. “We lost a game to North Island (3-0 on Oct. 24 in Nanaimo) that I didn’t think we should’ve lost, and we didn’t come out prepared to play. This weekend, we preached intensity and work ethic, and make a difference when you’re out on the ice. We did that, and the result means we’re back in first place and got a good chance of the Mac’s Tournament hopefully.”

As of Monday, the Cariboo squad hadn’t yet received an invitation to the prestigious international midget AAA hockey tournament, which begins in late December in Calgary. With their success this season, it appears to be only a matter of time before they receive their invite.

Sunday’s triumph came following a 3-2 Cariboo victory on Saturday at Kin 1. Marcus Beesley skated in goal both games for the Cougars.

“(Our defencemen) were great actually. They really helped clear away the rebounds,” Beesley said. “For the most part I was able to see all the shots from the point, so they actually did a great job. I was very happy with it.”

Seb Lloyd, David Stephens, Sam Brennan and Levon Johnson scored for the Cougars on Sunday. Colton Sparrow collected Okanagan’s only marker of the game.

On Saturday, Tyson Witala, Tyson McCallum and Alex Road recorded goals for the Cariboo squad. Kyle Clerke and Max Mowat replied for the Rockets.

“I’m real disappointed in our will to compete, and the boys didn’t bring the A game like I had hoped and expected for the top two teams in this league,” Rockets head coach Misko Antisin said. “Now we’re third, so you can fall pretty quick, and things have been pretty easy for us. We’ve been playing well, scoring lots of goals, and I said this is going to be a grinder’s game. It definitely was. It was a typical Spraguer game and they out-wanted it.”

After meeting the Blazers on Saturday and Sunday, the Cougars enter their bye weekend Nov. 14 and 15. They’re back on the road the next three weekends, taking on the South Island Thunderbirds (Nov. 21 and 22), the Chiefs (Nov. 28 and 29) and the Vancouver North West Giants (Dec. 5 and 6).

Chris Albee hopes to be fully recovered from a dislocated shoulder in time for their game on Nov. 21. Sprague said Michael King would be out a couple of days with a sore back. Luke Gordon and backup goalie Brad Gustafson battled through the flu on the weekend.

“We’ve got a lot of controversy this year, but our team has found a way to work hard, and be successful,” Sprague said. “Like I said, that gives a lot of credit back to their room, it gives a lot of credit to those guys being able to show up and play hockey.”