Box Score

You wouldn't be able to script this one.

In one of the wildest hockey games you will ever see, the MRU Cougars men's hockey team overcame a 3-0 deficit late in the third period to defeat the UBC Thunderbirds 4-3 at Flames Community Arenas.

The defending Canada West champions Thunderbirds broke the ice early in the first. UBC star centre Sam Huo put Carson Latimer on a breakaway and Latimer fired a laser over the shoulder of Cougars' netminder Riley Sims. The tally came just 63 seconds into the contest. 

Tristan Zandee nearly evened the score while on a 2-on-1 but was robbed by Cole Schwebius' glove hand. 

Later in the period, Sims showed that he was ready to make the big save. Huo ripped a shot from the high slot but was robbed by the Cougars goalie and cleared away by the MRU defence. 

Sims came up big again after a near-costly turnover by Mount Royal but stopped Huo point-blank for a second time. 

The Thunderbirds did an excellent job at controlling the pace of the game and took their 1-0 lead into the first intermission. 

"I don't think a lot of our guys had great legs today," said MRU head coach Bert Gilling. "But I have to give a lot of credit to UBC. They're a great hockey team and are extremely tough to play against."

In the second frame, the T-Birds extended their lead. Already with a goal in the game, Carson Latimer found a burst of speed and picked up the puck along the wall following a broken play at the UBC blueline. Latimer dashed down the wing and found Sasha Mutala for a tap in over the outstretched body of Riley Sims. The goal drained the life out of Flames Community Arenas and silenced MRU fans. 

The Thunderbirds nearly scored their third goal in the dying seconds of the period but a puck that crossed the goalline was waved off and UBC was called for goaltender interference.

The Cougars were unsuccessful on the man advantage to start the final frame and later UBC added to their chokehold on MRU with a third goal. Jack Wismer got his first of the season and UBC was on their way to a complete spoil of Mount Royal's home opener. 

But something shifted in the cool arena air.

Less than a minute after Wismer's goal, UBC winger Tian Rask was given the gate after a reckless crosscheck in a net-front scrum. Rask's game misconduct gave the Cougars a five-minute powerplay.

On the ensuing powerplay, the Cougars finally lit the lamp. MRU's high-octane unit moved the puck around rapidly, eventually finding Robbie Holmes for his patented one-timer. Holmes' shot beat the UBC goalie with ease and suddenly, the home team had a life. 

Things went from bad to worse for the Thunderbirds after blueliner Jonny Lambos took a spearing double-minor that gave MRU a 5-on-3. Cougars netminder Riley Sims headed to the bench to make it a 6-on-3. 

Clay Hanus cut the lead to one with another one-timer just a few feet from where Holmes potted his. With 57 seconds remaining and MRU still on a two-man advantage, UBC led 3-2. 

Mount Royal regrouped and gained the offensive with time dwindling down. Looping around the Thunderbird net, Hanus found reigning U SPORTS Player of the Year Connor Bouchard. As all eyes shifted to Bouchard, the forward fed a pass across to rookie centre Justin Lies. Lies controlled the puck and ripped a shot over Cole Schwebius and in the back of the net. Against all odds, the Cougars tied the game at three goals a piece with 9.8 seconds remaining in the game.

"In the back of my mind, I was already thinking about overtime and what the powerplay would be and what the numbers would be," said Bert Gilling. 

But the Cougars weren't done yet in the third period.

After finding their way to the O-zone again, the puck spurted out to an open Cougar forward, Zafir Rawji. With an elite level of composure, Rawji controlled the puck and shot a wrister over the leg of Schwebius, popping the UBC netminder's water bottle in the air and giving Mount Royal a 4-3 lead with 1.9 seconds left. In miraculous fashion, the Cougars had the lead. The Cougars had won the game.

"Definitely the biggest [goal of my career]," said Rawji. "[Jayden] Wiens made the call to push the puck forward off the draw, which turned out to be a great play. We tried to get a bounce for [Josh Tarzwel]l to shoot it. The puck went off a skate and found its way to me in the slot and maybe I'm a little lucky it went in."

A crazy night that coach Bert Gilling could only ponder if it was a little bit of divine intervention.

Gilling described how this win meant a little more to him and his family. The Cougars head coach lost his father just two days before Friday's home opener. His resilient group of hockey players gifted him the game puck after a game that he knew his dad was watching over. 

"The boys have been really good," said Gilling. "Maybe there was a little divine intervention. All I could say afterward was: Thanks, Dad."

While it was a crazy hockey game to witness for the fans in the bleachers, it was an extra meaningful one for the Gilling family, knowing Dad and Grandpa was cheering on the Cougars too.