U of R Sports Information

REGINA – The University of Regina men's hockey team fell 7-1 to the No. 3-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies on ShineOn night at The Co-operators Centre on Friday night.

Sam Ruopp, Collin Shirley and Alex Forsberg all had two goals and an assist for the Huskies, who improve to a conference-best 16-3-0. Carson Stadnyk scored the other Huskie goal and added an assist of his own. Conner Chaulk replied for the Cougars as Regina drops to 3-15-1.

Travis Child made 11 saves for his fourth win of the season. Dawson MacAuley stopped 33 shots between the pipes for the Cougars.

The Huskies scored two powerplay goals in the first period, thanks to Ruopp and Stadnyk. Ruopp's goal came just over four minutes in, as he beat MacAuley with a low wrist shot to the glove side. Stadnyk's goal was a deflection for his 11th of the season. 

Forsberg added to the lead early in the second period with a rebound goal before Chaulk got the Cougars on the board with a big wrist shot on the powerplay for his second of the season. 

Ruopp and Shirley scored 37 seconds apart near the start of the third period, before a powerplay goal from Forsberg and another from Shirley ran the tally to 7-1.

Tensions ran high between the provincial rivals in the third period, as a brawl broke out with five minutes to play resulting in 45 minutes in penalties.

The Cougars were held to just two shots in the first period, on the way to their lowest total of the season with just 12 on the night.

The annual ShineOn game played between the Cougars and Huskies benefits the ShineOn Foundation, which supports families who have a mother with an advanced cancer diagnosis. The foundation was founded by former Cougar hockey player Blair Ledingham.

Regina and Saskatchewan will play the second half of the home-and-home series on Saturday night in Saskatoon, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.