WHKY | Cougars advance to semis

The Flames Community Arena buzzed with energy Saturday afternoon as the Mount Royal University women’s hockey team secured their place in the Canada West semi-finals.

“Obviously we still got lots of work to do so we’ll enjoy it tonight and then back to work on Monday,” said Cougars captain Lyndsey Janes.

Following their 6 – 0 victory over the Bisons in game one on Friday evening, the Cougars maintained their momentum, overcoming their opponents 5 - 1 in the second game of the best-of-three series.  With this win, the Cougars advance in the playoffs, while the Bisons season comes to an end. 

The end of the first period saw the Cougars ahead 1 – 0, as Aliya Jomha found a clear shot on the Bisons net during a power play. 

Brenna Nicol of the Bisons leveled the score in the second period, taking advantage of the Cougars as they transitioned players.

However, Cougars Emma Bergesen managed to squeeze the puck past Bisons Emily Shippam, bringing the score to 2 – 1 at the end of the second.

The Cougars secured their victory by the end of the third period with goals from Julia Duke, Sydney Benko, and Athena Hauck.

Janes attributed their win over the Bisons to the team’s unity and cohesion.

“I think just playing as a team overall,” she said. “Every single line, every single defensive pairing, and of course our goalie Kaitlyn. Everybody contributed and played a really big role this weekend.” 

Cougars head coach Scott Rivett acknowledged Manitoba’s tenacity in the past two games. He added that playing the University of Alberta in the upcoming semi-finals will bring forth a new set of challenges.

“Manitoba pushed us pretty hard this weekend and U of A is going to present a little bit different set of challenges,” he said. “They play with a lot of pace, they got lots of scoring in their line up, and they got an outstanding goal tender.”

Bisons head coach Jordy Zacharias said that this weekend’s games serve as an opportunity for learning. She acknowledged her players determination over the past two days. 

“For us it’s just a big learning experience,” she said. “I told them all that they gave it everything they have. Everyone on our team competed as hard as they could and that’s all that we can really ask.”

Looking ahead, the Cougars are gearing up for the semi-finals where they will face off against the University of Alberta Pandas next weekend.