Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Only one MRU team played on the road this past weekend. Although Calgary's temperature dropped to arctic-like levels, it wasn't much warmer in Winnipeg as Mount Royal's women's hockey team visited the University of Manitoba Bisons.

In their first game of 2024, the Cougars started hot with an incredible goal from Athena Hauck. The fourth-year sniper did it all herself, weaving through the Bisons' defence and firing a snapshot past the glove of Manitoba's goaltender to make it 1-0.

Just a few minutes later, the Bisons tied it up at 1-1 with a shorthanded breakaway goal.

The Cougars wasted no time in regaining the lead when they took the ice in the second. Aliya Jomha did her best to control a bouncing puck before whacking it toward the crease and finding the blade of Breanne Trotter who tapped it into the net.

Kaia Borbandy got on the board with her second of the year to make it 3-1. Kaia's sister, Abbey Borbandy skillfully fed a leading pass to spring Syndey Benko on a partial break. Benko was stopped by the Bisons goaltender but Kaia Borbandy was right there to clean up and jam the rebound across the line.

Cougars' rookie sensation Jerzey Watteyne added a third goal in the period. Kiana McNich threw a bobbling puck towards the Manitoba crease and Watteyne got just enough of a piece of it to find the back of the net to make it 4-1 heading into the final period.

The Bisons were able to cut the deficit to two early in the third. However, Mount Royal restored the three-goal advantage later in the frame. After setting up the fourth goal, Kiana McNinch lit the lamp herself, beating Manitoba's netminder five-hole. McNinch's insurance marker and Kaitlyn Ross' 24 saves solidified a 5-2 victory for MRU.

In the weekend finale, the Cougars' resilience was put to the test.

After a scramble in the slot following an offensive zone faceoff, Jordyn Hutt gained possession and quickly wired a wrister over the pad of Manitoba's goalie to give MRU a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.

Mount Royal added to their lead later in the opening period on the powerplay. Cougars captain Lyndsey Janes held the line with the Bisons trying to clear the zone and fed a pass over to Jori Hansen-Young who blasted a huge one-timer through traffic. Jerzey Watteyne executed a perfect screen and deflection to fool the goalie and find the back of the net for the second time of the weekend.

The two first-period goals would be all the Cougars would register and would have to rely on their defensive play. 

The two teams went scoreless in the second period but just a few minutes into the third, Manitoba finally got one past Kaitlyn Ross to make it a one-goal game. 

Despite the pressure from Manitoba, Ross was a brick wall the rest of the way and her team did an excellent job of obstructing the Bisons' shots, securing the 2-1 win. Mount Royal improves to 16-4-0 and sweeps the season series with Manitoba 4-0.

Next Weekend

The women's hockey team returns to home ice for a pair of games against the University of Regina Cougars, while the men's team heads east for a road battle in Regina. Both of MRU's volleyball teams finish off their four-game homestand against the UFV Cascades. Finally, MRU basketball returns after a bye week. The Cougars men's and women's teams will tag along with the men's hockey squad for their own games in Regina. 

Tickets to Mount Royal's home games can be purchased online and all of the action can be streamed live on Canada West TV.