Dan Khavkin, Cougar Athletics
CALGARY - The Mount Royal Cougars began their weekend homestand Friday night against the Canada West powerhouse UBC Thunderbirds with a hard-fought 2-1 loss at Flames Community Arenas.
The visiting T-Birds started the game with high momentum and energy, being lively on the bench and being a nuisance to the hosting Cougars. UBC were the more mobile and effective team in the first period, breaking in the MRU zone with ease and controlling most of the game with effective puck possession. This theme played out throughout the duration of the game.
The Cougars resorted to playing an absorbent style of defence and held the Thunderbirds back until the 10:46 mark where Cassandra Vilgrain tucked a wraparound attempt past goalie Zoe DeBeauville to give her side the first lead of the game and her first on the season.
Giving UBC more momentum, the Thunderbirds were robbed of a sure second goal by DeBeauville minutes later. Kathleen Cahoon collected the puck behind the MRU net and dueled off against DeBeauville at the top of the crease.
Walking around the stunned MRU net-minder, Cahoon attempted to tuck the puck in on the far side but a down-and-out DeBeauville slapped her paddle down and robbed UBC of another goal. She stopped 20 in total.
MRU couldn't generate much in the offensive end, forcing a mere three shots on goal in the first period. Vilgrains' marker was the only goal of the period giving her side the advantage heading into the first break.
The second period saw the Cougars use the break to their advantage coming flying out of the gate and looking like a different team. But after creating golden chance after chance, MRU earned themselves an early five-on-three power play, but failed to capitalize despite adding pressure deeper into the man-advantage.
The huge penalty kill swung the momentum for the T-Birds, who scored 9:11 in the second frame. An MRU turnover proved costly as UBC doubled their lead. Cahoon got some revenge on the Cougars defence, forcing a turnover and setting up Hannah Clayton-Carrol who walked in on the glove side of DeBeauville and chipped her shot bar-down for her fifth goal on the year. 2-0 was the score after 40 minutes with MRU showing more signs of life than the period previous.
Once again, MRU landed the first jab, springing a two-on-one, but Nicolette Seper who elected to shoot, was denied by a cool UBC goaltender Amelia Boughn who stopped 21 on the night.
Moments on, the Cougars clipped the Thunderbird lead to one. Kennedy Bozek netted her first on the year after Megan Carver who carved her way into the zone, was stopped on a two-on-one 1:47 into the third.
MRU got themselves another five-on-three but again failed to score with Boughn being the sole cause for the T-Birds gripping onto their game.
"We played well as a team, our forecheck really helped out keep the puck in their end, practising offence all week payed off so that was nice," Clayton-Carrol stated after the game.
"Really digging in and battling through helped us out in the end of the game, we expect a more cleaner game tomorrow,"
The Cougars turned on the heat too little too late as UBC held on to their 2-1 win for their seventh of the game, improving their record to 7-4-0 while MRU look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon at 3pm for the rubber match.