Dan Khavkin, Cougar Athletics
CALGARY- The University of Calgary Dinos returned the favour in round two of the Crowchild Classic, picking up a 5-1 win against the Mount Royal Cougars in front of a capacity crowd in the Flames Community Arenas Saturday night.
MRU picked up momentum from the 3-2 victory the night prior, starting to press Calgary and landed the first punch only 98 seconds into the contest.
Rookie Brad Kennedy continues to scorch Canada West opponents, netting his sixth goal on the year on a powerplay shot from his patented shot from the right face-off dot past first-year Jordan Papriny.
With the physicality picking up between the Calgary schools, the Dinos tied the game on a poweplay marker of their own.
A red-hot Dinos powerplay tied the game at ones at 9:19.
Cougar forwards Tanner Olstad and Jamal Watson had a crisscross gone wrong in the Dinos end that resulted in a two-on-one on the counter-attack.
Garrett Forster was the beneficiary of a rebound after line-mate Cain Franson was denied on the two-on-one counter-attack.
Moments later, Chris Collins was denied backdoor by a sprawling Cam Lanigan who dove like a soccer goalkeeper to rob the fifth-year senior of a sure goal.
The scramble in the Cougar crease lead to the referee awarding a penalty shot to the Dinos due to an MRU defender covering the puck with his hand.
Lanigan came up huge for the home side, denying Collins with his blocker on a shot attempt.
Both teams took a 1-1 score into the first break.
Calgary came flying out of the gate to start the second and made the press last all period long.
The visiting Dinos got their first lead on the weekend of another Cougar turnover 2:08 inside the second frame.
Ex-Swift Current Broncos captain Coda Gordon stripped Kennedy while both teams were in the midst of line changes. Gordon snuck a shot between the wickets of Lanigan on the ensuing breakaway to give the Dinos their first lead of the night.
Collins kept pestering the Cougar defence, finally, he beat Lanigan at 12:07 into the second period after hitting the iron twice.
Dinos wore down the Cougars all period and allowed for Papriny to only make the saves he needed too.
Calgary took a two-goal lead heading into the final break.
The third was again, all Dinos.
MRU mustered 24 shots on the game but only mustered a handful of dangerous chances. Defenceman Kord Pankewitz had a shot squeak by the post and Watson hit the crossbar in the third.
Ryan Gagnon scored on an empty net with two minutes on the clock and Gordon tucked a short side dangle past Lanigan for his second of the night to increase the lead 5-1.
Calgary remains undefeated on the road in regulation with a 3-0-2 record, they play against the Regina Cougars next while MRU travels to B.C. with a weekend scheduled against the UBC Thunderbirds.
st the UBC Thunderbirds.