After a historic regular season, the Cougars are hungry for more.

The Mount Royal University Cougars men's hockey team set program records for regular-season wins (22) and points (44), earning the first seed in the West Division of Canada West and a bye to the semifinals. After waiting for the completion of the quarterfinal, the Cougars finally have their opponent: the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

The Cougars and Golden Bears met just twice this season, with each team securing a win during the last weekend of conference play in 2024. Mount Royal beat Alberta 4-1 on Nov. 29 in what was arguably the Cougars' best 60-minute effort to date. However, the Golden Bears redeemed themselves the next night in Edmonton, downing MRU 5-2. 

Only one point separated the two teams in the standings this season, and their two matchups reflect just how close the Cougars and Golden Bears are in terms of capability and skill.

While hosting last weekend's quarterfinal, Alberta defeated the University of Calgary Dinos 2-1 in a best-of-three series. The Golden Bears had a strong season prior to eliminating the Dinos, led by an impressive rookie class that included Canada West goal leader Sean Tschigerl. Fellow All-Rookie team members Brett Hyland and netminder Tyler Palmer have also been crucial to the team's success. The Golden Bears youth combined with veterans like Josh Prokop and Eric Florchuk will be a handful for the Mount Royal.

Although Alberta boasts an impressive lineup, the Cougars' star power may just give them the upper hand on paper. For the fourth consecutive year, an MRU player has won the Dave "Sweeney" Schriner Trophy, awarded to the highest-scoring player in the Canada West. This year, the title went to superstar third-year defenceman Clay Hanus. The former Portland Winterhawk became the first blueliner to win the award since 1993 as he recorded 43 points. Since Hanus joined the Cougars halfway through the 2022-23 season, he has been undeniably the best offensive defenceman in the Canada West. Hanus's 2024-25 season also earned him a Canada West First Team All-Star nod.

Another Cougar was named a Canada West First Team All-Star this week and followers of the team will be very familiar with what this player has done over the past three seasons at MRU. Connor Bouchard, who was last year's Dave "Sweeney" Schriner trophy winner, had another incredible campaign. The Cougars moved Bouchard up and down the lineup this year, playing him with a wide variety of players. No matter who Bouchard played with, he stayed consistent while also making his teammates better. Bouchard and Hanus's performance will be key to Mount Royal's attempt to reach the Canada West final for the first time ever.

There are a few moments to look back at to draw perspective on how the Cougars got the spot they are in today. All the way back in October, MRU pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks any hockey fan could ever witness, beating the UBC Thunderbirds 4-3 in the home opener at FCA. Now known as the 'Mount Royal Miracle,' the game kicked off what would be an exciting season with a lot of individual and collective achievement.

However, the biggest turning point of the season occurred at the end of January when MRU lost the Crowchild Classic 4-0 to the Dinos at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The game was a devastating loss and was the lowest moment of the year for the team. Since then, the Cougars have not lost. Not only have they won all five games, but they've also dominated their opponents. Mount Royal has registered shutouts in four out of the five games and outscored their competition 34-3. It is fair to say that the defeat at the Saddledome kickstarted a huge change for MRU.

The 2024-25 MRU Cougars team features star power, grit, leadership and depth. Forwards such as Justin Lies, Robbie Holmes, Josh Tarzwell, Jayden Wiens, Teague Patton and more have been on a tear recently and have shown no signs of stopping. Along with offensive prowess, shutdown forwards like Tristan Zandee, Dawson Milliken, Vaughn Watterodt and Blake Stevenson level out the forward group to provide a balanced system.

Along with Clay Hanus, the current defence core is among the best MRU has ever had. Captain Kyle Walker has proven himself as a courageous leader, laying the body, blocking shots and also jumping up on offence. Michael Ladyman and Remy Aquilon are two other blueliners to keep an eye on to make a big impact in the series against Alberta.

In between the pipes, expect to see reigning U SPORTS goaltender of the year Shane Farkas. The netminder has had another great season in 2024-25 and is as reliable as it gets in the crease. 

At this stage of the season, there can be no passengers. There are no easy shifts and MRU head coach Bert Gilling has instilled that message into his group. The Cougars are hungrier than ever to keep their postseason going and it starts with game one against the Golden Bears.

All eyes will be on Flames Community Arenas for Friday's game one puck drop at 7 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online and the series can be streamed live on Canada West TV – Powered by BioSteel.