Male Athlete of the Week
The MRU Cougars hockey team faced off against the MacEwan Griffins over the weekend in the Canada West quarterfinals. In game one on Friday, the Cougars defeated the Griffins 4-1. Looking to wrap up the series in game two, the Griffins pushed back against Mount Royal. However, the Cougars battled persistently and eventually prevailed 6-4 to advance to the semifinals. After losing on home ice last season in the quarterfinals, the win felt extra sweet for MRU.
The Players Bench Athlete of the Week is
Jaden Senkoe. The centreman from Westlock, Alta. scored three goals, tallied one assist and was a +5 over the two games against the Griffins. Senkoe iced the game for the Cougars in game one, scoring an empty netter in the last minute of the third. During Saturday's remarkable win, the former Spruce Grove Saint and Trail Smoke Eater scored a clutch goal late in the first period to tie the game at two and swing the momentum back into the Cougars' favour heading to the locker room. Senkoe added another empty net goal late in the game to make it 6-4, sealing the 2-0 series victory for Mount Royal.
Senkoe, a second-year, is enrolled in MRU's open studies program.
Female Athlete of the Week
Mount Royal's women's hockey team began their U SPORTS national championship defence by going head-to-head with the Manitoba Bisons in the quarterfinals of the Canada West playoffs. On Friday afternoon, the Cougars dismantled the Bisons and cruised to a 6-0 win to take a 1-0 lead in the series. In game two, Mount Royal was tied with Manitoba early in the second period before the Cougars scored four unanswered goals to win 5-1. The victory sent them through to the semifinals in Edmonton.
The Players Bench Female Athlete of the Week is
Kaitlyn Ross. The cornerstone goaltender stopped 54 of the 55 shots that she faced for a .982 save percentage and guided her squad to an emphatic series win. Although the game scores indicate a couple of lopsided affairs, the Cougars only outshout the Bisons by one over the two games with Ross being tested frequently throughout the series. Friday's game one win was Ross' seventh career playoff shutout, the most in U SPORTS women's hockey history. Arguably the best netminder in program history, the Cougars #32 proved once again that she is the MVP of her team and one of the finest to play between the pipes in Canada West.
The Redcliff, Alta. product is a fourth-year psychology student at Mount Royal.
