CALGARY - Mount Royal University's women's hockey team, the Cougars, played their first home game of the season which turned out to be a riveting game against the University of British Columbia's Thunderbirds on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Flames Community Arena. Both teams came in with one loss and one win under their belt, and both rocketed off as soon as the puck dropped. The two teams were tense and evenly matched throughout the game, with the 1-1 tie established in the first period carrying on until overtime, and the teams went into a second overtime. The Thunderbirds eventually scored a goal and won the game. MRU's Daria O'Neil called it "one of the tougher games," the fourth-year defenceman went on to say "We are obviously disappointed with the result but were are proud of how we'd played." 

 

Within five minutes of the first period, a penalty was called against Thunderbirds defender Celine Tardif, and Daria O'Neil from the Cougars subsequently scored the first goal of the game the power-play and the first shot of the game. With seven minutes on the clock, the Thunderbirds rebounded and levelled thanks to a Mathea Fischer rocket past Cougars netminder Zoe De Beauville.

 

In the second both teams had chances but UBC's Amelia Boughn and MRU's De Beauville both made fantastic saves to keep the score 1-1 after two. 

 

In the third tensions on the ice culminated in a group argument in front of the Cougars net resulting in another penalty for their forward Kate Scidmore. With less than 10 minutes left on the clock and the Cougars down two players, the Thunderbirds' fate looked optimistic. De Beauville was practically the only thing standing in-between the net and the puck, and she did her job well, protecting her net until Thorpe was let out. Ireland Perrott from the Thunderbirds took a hard fall with less than three minutes on the clock, and an athletic therapist had to enter the ice. The forward was carried off the ice, and the teams carried on through the last minutes.

 

With the scored left 1-1 after a full 60 minutes the women prepared to go overtime. Tianna Ko from the Cougars danced around the Thunderbird defence but failed to get a goal for her team. The Cougars tried desperately to ram a puck into the net and were thwarted again and again by Boughn. De Beauville held her own as well, neither goalkeeper letting anything sink past them. Overtime ended and the 1-1 score still remained, so the teams progressed onto a three on three second overtime. The Thunderbirds nearly ended the game right then and there with an instantaneous breakaway to start double overtime. Later in 2OT though the breakthrough would happen. The Cougars were handed a penalty late in OT, giving the Thunderbirds a 4-3 man advantage. On the ensuing powerplay UBC's Tardif scored to get UBC the 2-1 win. The Booster Juice players of the game were Daria O'Neil and Celine Tardif. The two teams will rematch tomorrow again at the Flames Community Arena.