CALGARY –  The Mount Royal University Cougars women's hockey team could not be contained on Friday night.

Coming off a tough weekend where they lost both games to the UBC Thunderbirds, the Cougars emphatically returned to the win column, beating the University of Manitoba Bisons 7-0.

It took just 89 seconds for Mount Royal to open the scoring at FCA. Aliya Jomha sent a shot pass to the Manitoba net, with Allee Gerrard positioned to redirect the puck. Gerrard's tip fooled Bisons' netminder Emily Shippam to give MRU a 1-0 lead.

Cougars head coach Scott Rivett went right back to the Gerrard-Jomha-Hauck line just a minute later and MRU was rewarded. Gerrard made a Datsuyk-esque takeaway at the red line, stealing the puck from Manitoba defender Louise Fergusson, allowing Athena Hauck to lead a 2-on-1. 

Hauck kept the puck on the rush, wiring a snapshot off the post and in to make it 2-0 just 2:49 into the contest.

The Bisons had a couple of powerplay opportunities to cut into the MRU lead in the first but the Cougars' league-best penalty kill stifled Manitoba, led by their most important penalty killer and star goaltender Kaitlyn Ross. 

Ross stopped all 13 shots she faced for her third shutout of the season.

Second-year sensation Jerzey Watteyne scored the Cougars' third goal of the period on just their seventh shot. Kiana McNinch cut to the slot, firing a shot that was deflected by Watteyne and in the back of the net. 
 

In the second period, the Cougars matched their goal total from the first.

Jordyn Hutt collected two goals under six minutes apart in the second. Her second goal came off an incredible pass from Dara Thompson, who was playing in her first career Canada West game.

The Bisons turned to rookie goaltender Paige Fischer to go the rest of the way between the pipes. 

Mount Royal potted their sixth goal of the game midway through the second. Athena Hauck circled around the Manitoba zone, attracting all the eyes of her opposition before sliding a flawless feed to Aliya Jomha, who tapped the puck into the gaping net. The goal was Jomha's 27th of her career, tying her for the MRU all-time goal record with Sarah Weninger.

The Cougars would add one more goal in the third period to wrap up a statement win by a 7-0 score. The win ends the team's losing streak at two.

The Cougars and Bisons will meet each other one more time this season on Saturday afternoon. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. MST at Flames Community Arenas. Tickets can be purchased online and the game can be streamed on Canada West TV – Powered by BioSteel.