Mount Royal sweeps weekend series with SAIT with two shutout victories
The Mount Royal Cougars women’s hockey team was hoping to end their last home game against the SAIT Trojans better than how they started the season against them – with a win.
Thanks to a late second-period goal by second-year Emily Harrison, and two other tallies by Mackenzie Duncan and Taralynn Suzuki in the third period, the Cougars were able to pull off the win against their cross-town rivals with a final score of 3-0.
“I just saw the puck sitting there in front of the goalie,” said Harrison about her game-winning goal with only 59 seconds remaining in the second period. “I just tried to put everything I had behind it and get it in the net.”
With the win, the Cougars maintained their first-place hold in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) women’s hockey division. NAIT sits in second, Grant MacEwan University in third, and SAIT in fourth.
Although the Cougars held SAIT scoreless in the game, Cougars head coach Scott Rivett said that tweaks still need to be made in their offence, as the Cougars only scored three goals despite the 46 shots they put on SAIT goalie Chelsie Lowe.
“I think we can do a better job manufacturing some better chances – putting pucks in better places and creating some rebounds,” he said.
“They came in here last year and took our trophy away from us, so it’s easy to get motivated for them”
– Cougars defenceman Jesslyn Legasse
A day later, at SAIT’s Campus Centre Arena, the Cougars shut out the Trojans for a second straight game winning 1-0 in overtime.
If the standings remain the way they are, the Trojans and Cougars are headed for a first-round playoff match.
If the two teams meet in the playoffs, the Cougars hope to erase the memory of last season’s disappointment when they lost to SAIT in the ACAC championship game in their home arena.
“It’s hard to get over something like that,” said Jesslyn Legasse, a fifth-year defenceman for the Cougars. “They came in here last year and took our trophy away from us, so it’s easy to get motivated for them.”
The Cougars next home game is Jan. 28, when they take on NAIT at the Flames Community Arenas. SAIT’s next home game is also Jan. 28 when they play against Red Deer College.
cgajdostik@cjournal.ca