Box Score CALGARY – It may have been a bit ugly but the MRU Cougars got it done.

In Friday's weekend opener of a home-and-home, Mount Royal defeated the MacEwan University Griffins 6-3 at Flames Community Arenas. 

In their first meeting of the season, MacEwan nearly put the Cougars on their heels. However, Cougars netminder Riley Sims made a superb save while sliding across the crease to keep the game scoreless early. 

Later in the opening period, Mount Royal began to put on an offensive zone clinic. Doing what he does best, Clay Hanus swiftly weaved around every inch of the zone, carefully evading the Griffins' attempts at checking him.

"Going back to Portland in the WHL, my coach always wanted defenceman to be mobile in the offensive zone," said Hanus. "Here at MRU, it's easy playing with our forwards. They're all great players and it's easy to make reads off them."

Eventually, Hanus found Zafir Rawji a few feet from the goal line. Rawji proceeded to snipe a shot over the shoulder of MacEwan goalie Eric Ward, popping the netminder's water bottle up into the air. 

Rawji's rocket of a shot gave MRU a well-deserved 1-0 lead.

Less than a minute later, Blake Stevenson added to the Cougar lead with a tap-in off a Connor Bouchard feed. 

Looking like they were fully in the driver's seat with time dwindling down in the first period, Mount Royal looked to be caught off guard by an intense response from the Griffins.

MacEwan took advantage of a long MRU shift to cut the deficit back to one. Logan Dowhaniuk's shot trickled through the legs of Riley Sims, barely crossing the line before a Cougars' defenceman could swat the puck away.

Partway through the second, Mount Royal rediscovered their groove. Rookie star Justin Lies blasted a one-timer past Eric Ward to make it 3-1.

Just 64 seconds later Josh Tarzwell finished off a terrific passing play orchestrated by crafty defenceman Remy Aquilon and speedy forward Teague Patton. 

Just like that, Mount Royal had a 4-1 lead.

Determined to stay in the game, MacEwan got a powerplay marker of their own. While parked in front of the net, Marc Pasemko shovelled the puck through the five-hole of Sims to cut the Cougars' lead to 4-2

In the third, Mount Royal was treated by another fourth-line goal. Dawson Milliken pounced on the puck after it became freed off the draw before shooting a wrister into the net for his fourth of the year.

The pesky Griffins got one back again, just as an MRU penalty expired to bring the game back to a two-goal difference.

However, Josh Tarzwell would score his second of the game to make it 6-3, securing the win for MRU.

"I think we played pretty well but there's definitely things we need to clean up, particularly on the penalty kill," said Clay Hanus. "But we scored when we needed to and [Riley Sims] played great."

Hanus and the 16-5-0 Cougars will have to regroup for another test against the Griffins on Saturday night in Edmonton.

Tomorrow's game starts at 5 p.m. and can be streamed live on Canada West TV – Powered by BioSteel.