Box Score CALGARY, AB – The Mount Royal University Cougars women's soccer team defeated the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves 2-0 on Sunday afternoon. The win for the Cougars is significant for their playoff push and came in commanding fashion.

Timberwolves keeper Brityn Hinsche had to be sharp early in the contest. In the third minute, MRU midfielder Zyna Centeno let loose a booming shot from beyond the box, and Hinsche made an outstanding save to keep the game even.

Just over 10 minutes later, the Cougars were awarded a penalty kick after a tremendous solo run by Tamara Djurisic, Mount Royal's leading scorer, was taken down inside the box. Djurisic stepped up to finish the job herself and put it past the diving keeper to give the home side an early 1-0 lead.

MRU didn't let up the pressure after taking the lead. Jordan Grundl broke away from the UNBC defender and fired a hard shot, forcing Brityn Hinsche to make another tough save. Despite the loss, Hinsche was stellar for the full 90 minutes, making an impressive 12 saves.

Later in the first half, the Timberwolves gave a brief offensive pushback but were swiftly deterred by the Cougars' backline led by first-year wingback Siddaly Alcock and fourth-year centerback and captain Keilyn Stabler.

The Cougars continued their suffocating pressure into the second half. In the 61st minute, standout midfielder Kareena Kassam made a run toward the middle of the pitch and struck the ball low and hard, finding the back of the net to make it 2-0.

Kassam and the Cougars wouldn't give UNBC an inch the rest of the game. Even with the two-goal lead, MRU kept the pressure on the Timberwolves and managed a few extra chances late in the game.

MRU secured the win with a remarkable team effort and improved to 3-4-3 on the season. The Cougars will play their final home game of the regular season on October 7 at 1 p.m. when they face the University of Victoria Vikes for a rematch of their early-season fixture that saw the Vikes come away with a 4-1 win. Fans can catch the game live at Stadium Field or stream it on Canada West TV.