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It was a historic weekend as the Mount Royal Cougars finished off the 2023 calendar year with a schedule full of important games. After a six-game home stand, the men's and women's basketball teams headed south on Highway 2 to visit the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. The men's hockey team also hit the road, driving east for a pair of crucial games against the Saskatchewan Huskies.

Bouchard stars as Cougars men's hockey sweeps Huskies in Saskatoon

The MRU men's hockey team faced off against the University of Saskatchewan this weekend for a possible playoff preview. Going into Friday's game, the Huskies and Cougars sat tied with 22 points in the standings with Saskatchewan having two games in hand. 

It didn't take long for Mount Royal to light the lamp first. Connor Bouchard redirected Michael Ladyman's pass and in the net just 17 seconds into the game. Late in the first, the Huskies evened the score.

Fans at Merlis Belsher Place would have to wait until the third period to see another goal. After the Huskies took a hooking penalty Spencer Moe scored a one-timer from the slot for his sixth tally of the year to make it 2-1 midway through the final frame. Just 61 seconds later, Jaden Senkoe found twine to make it 3-1, solidifying the win for the Cougars. 

Saturday's rematch offered a roller coaster of emotions for both teams. After Saskatchewan went up 1-0 in the first, the Cougars exploded for five unanswered goals in the second period. Connor Bouchard tied the game at one and less than a minute later Tristan Zandee got on the board as well. Midway through the period, Blake Stevenson added his name to the scoresheet by tipping in a perfect pass from Bouchard. Late in the wild period, the Huskies were assessed back-to-back penalties and the Cougars went to work on the man-advantage. MRU rookie Daniel Kernaghan scored his second of the season on the powerplay off yet another superb pass from Bouchard. Finally, Bouchard scored his second of the period, as he dangled around the Huskies' defender before roofing it with his backhand.

Determined to stay in the game, Saskatchewan came out much stronger in the third. The Huskies scored a couple of goals to cut the deficit to two. However, with under two minutes to play, Connor Bouchard secured the hat trick with an empty-netter. For good measure, the former Tri-City American added another empty net goal to give him four in the game and Mount Royal a 7-4 victory. Bouchard set a MRU Cougars single-game record with six total points.

Pronghorns have no answer for Watts in MRU men's basketball's two gritty victories

The men's basketball team travelled south to take on provincial rivals, the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. After enduring a five-game losing streak, the Cougars returned to the win column with two narrow victories over Lethbridge.

Friday's game was tight right from the start. After being tied in the first quarter, the Cougars surged in the second quarter and went into the half up by 10. In the third quarter, Keivonte Watts erupted for 16 points. Despite the Pronghorns' best efforts, Watts could not be stopped finishing with 33 points, shooting an incredible 13-for-18 from the field. 

The final quarter offered MRU a bit of a scare as Lethbridge clawed back into the game, bringing it right down to the wire. Up by just a single point, Cougars' forward Daniel Mulder was fouled, sending him to the line. Mulder was cold-blooded, knocking down both shots and giving Mount Royal a three-point lead. With eight seconds left, MRU put the clamps on, causing the Horns to miss both attempts from beyond the arc. MRU came away with an 87-84 win.

For Saturday's game, Lethbridge knew they had to bring a game plan to contain Keivonte Watts. Unfortunately for the home team, Watts had no plans of stopping his dominance. 

The Pronghorns held a seven-point lead after the first quarter. Keivonte Watts picked up right where he left off, scoring 13 of the Cougars' 16 points in the opening quarter including going 3-for-3 from deep.

After struggling to find a rhythm as a collective, the Cougars found their stride on offence, putting up 32 points in the second quarter. Mount Royal led by three at the break.

Daniel Mulder continued his clutch weekend in the third, making every shot he took, both from the field and the foul line. 

Into the final quarter of the weekend, Lethbridge was desperate to earn a series split. The Horns came back to take the lead with a minute remaining. The Cougars pressed hard on offence and after a missed layup, Sam Barnie was fouled while attempting to grab the rebound. The infraction sent Barnie to the line with a chance to take the lead. Just as his teammate did the night before, Barnie made both free throws and the Cougars prevailed once again.

Keivonte Watts finished the game with a career-high 40 points, also adding three rebounds and three assists.

Mount Royal women's basketball lose to Lethbridge, ending their winning streak

The women's basketball team visited the Pronghorns this weekend, falling to their Southern Alberta neighbours twice and snapping their four-game win streak.

Harriette Mackenzie registered a season-best performance on Friday, scoring 25 points and grabbing 17 boards in the game despite not starting. 

The Pronghorns held a consistent lead throughout the game even with the Cougars' attempts to go ahead. Nora Luca, Marissa Richards and Tanis Metcalfe each recorded nine points; however, the trio's performance was not enough and Lethbridge secured a 69-60 win. 

A key struggle for the Cougars was their free throw shooting, as they finished the game going 16-for-31 from the line. 

Julia Summers made her return to the Mount Royal lineup and made her presence felt in Saturday's rematch. Summers scored nine points, along with two assists and two steals.

The Cougars fought a tough battle on Saturday as Harriette Mackenzie registered another double-double with 19 points and a campaign-best 22 rebounds. 

After a big first quarter from MRU where they led by 10, the Pronghorns came back as the Cougars struggled offensively. 

Lethbridge led by just one going into the fourth quarter as Mount Royal hoped to avenge Friday's loss. The Cougars led by six with just over two minutes left in the game. 

The home team brought the score within two with under a minute to go before Horns' guard Vlada Hozalova pulled up from three and went nothing but net. 

The Pronghorns held on for the 75-71 win, sweeping the Cougars in Lethbridge.

2023: What a year for the Courgars!

2023 was a historic year for the Mount Royal University Cougars. The women's hockey team, led by head coach Scott Rivett, captured the school's first-ever U SPORTS national championship as the eighth seed. In the Fall, Ryan Gyaki guided the men's soccer team to the Canada West gold medal, marking the first conference championship since joining U SPORTS. Beyond the two notable championships, each athletics program grew stronger. 2024 promises to offer even more development of Mount Royal Athletics. Cougars' games resume on January 5, 2023. Full schedule details are available on MRUCougars.com.