CALGARY - The Mount Royal Cougars faced off against the Thompson Rivers WolfPack on a turbulent field for the quarter-final playoffs. The Cougars took the weekend with a 2-1 victory.
The WolfPack was feeling strong entering the match, ready to fight for a win. "We're a confident group, we're very positive with each other," said their midfielder, Justin Donaldson.
Despite the torrential weather, Orest Nbaneze was confident that the team was ready. "Our motto for the last year and a half has been 'for the team, [everything for the team].' We're very prepared; it's going to be a showdown."
The game opened with both teams struggling to take control of the game. The Cougars dominated the field for the first bit as the WolfPack put forth a strong defence. Mount Royal got a couple shots on net within the first ten minutes, but weren't able to seal the deal.
The Cougars continued to hold the field until Dane Domic was finally able to sneak around the WolfPack keeper to score the first goal of the day. He was able to get another shot on net a short while later until the play tilted in favour of the WolfPack.
It seemed like the Cougars were going to hold steady into the half, but the WolfPack was pushing hard on their defences. Just as the first half waned, they struggled out front of the Cougars net until the ball went rolling into the corner, tying the game as the whistle rang.
The second half opened with an intense push from each side to take hold of the advantage. The WolfPack was throwing a strong offensive, but were facing a couple of yellow cards after some tough plays.
At the 57 minute mark, Cougars' Miguel da Rocha fired a pass to Justin Anderson-Louch who swept it into the net, pulling into the lead once more.
Both teams were feeling the pressure as the game neared its close. The WolfPack was taking control of the field while Mount Royal was just trying to defend their lead. With one final push, the WolfPack made some quick maneuvers, but were thwarted by the Cougars' defences.
As the final whistle blew, the Mount Royal Cougars emerged victorious with a 2-1 score. They will move onto the semi-finals to play November 2nd at the University of British Columbia. It will be broadcasted live on CanadaWest.tv, presented by Co-op.
