Matt Johnson, Huskie Athletics
SASKATOON – The Mount Royal Cougars snapped a three-game losing skid against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey team, with a 3-2 victory, on Nov. 16, at Merlis Belsher Place.
Andrea Sanderson, Tatum Amy, and Jayden Thorpe scored the goals for the Cougars. Breanne Trotter continued to build on her tremendous rookie season, as the freshmen forward tallied her fifth and sixth assists to push her point total to 10 points through as many games. Megan Carver, Camryn Amundson, and Nicolette Seper each added helpers for the road side.
Bailee Bourassa tallied the game's opening goal which stood as her fourth goal of the season, with Abby Shirley and Chloe Smith adding on assists. Sophie Lalor's unassisted marker in the third period brought the Huskies to within one late.
Jessica Vance turned away 17 of the 20 shots she faced for the Huskies.
Zoe De Beauville stopped 19 saves in the win for the Cougars and was named the game's third star.
The Saskatchewan fell to 4-3-3-1 on the season, while Mount Royal moved to 4-6-0-1.
Bourassa opened up the scoring late in the first period, as she gathered a pass from Shirley on the half-wall and worked her way off the boards and skated towards the cage and roofed the puck short side over the shoulder of De Beauville to give the Huskies an early 1-0 lead.
Saskatchewan outshot Mount Royal 10-6 in the opening frame, with Vance kicking aside each shot she faced through the first 20 minutes.
After killing off a Huskies power play in the opening minutes of the second period, the Cougars found the equalizer.
Breanne Trotter spotted Sanderson alone in front of the net, as her feed from behind the cage found the tape of the second-year forward's stick, who rifled her one-timer home to tally her third goal of the season to tie the game at one goal apiece.
On an ensuing Huskies powerplay, the Cougars were presented with a glorious shorthanded scoring opportunity after the turnover in their own zone, as Kennedy Bozek had a free lane to the net, but Vance shut the door to keep the game locked at 1-1.
However, Mount Royal continued to press, after a point shot was blocked in front of the cage, the puck fell to Amy who made no mistake as she buried home the go-ahead goal.
Just 33 seconds into the third period, Mount Royal added an insurance marker. Jayden Thorpe lasered home her first goal of the season on the power play to put her team ahead, 3-1.
After a slow start to the frame, Saskatchewan began to dial up the scoring chances, as they made it a one-goal game with just over eight minutes remaining in the third period, as Lalor drove hard to the cage and stuffed home her first goal of the season.
However, the Cougars were able to withhold a late push, as De Beauville and company shut down a late flurry of Huskies scoring opportunities, but it was too little too late for the home side.
Saskatchewan and Mount Royal will take the ice for the second game of the series tomorrow night at 5:00 p.m. inside Merlis Belsher Place.