Players Bench Male Athlete of the Week: Blake Stevenson

MRU's men's hockey team collected two of their biggest wins of the season over the weekend while visiting then #1-ranked UBC. The Cougars won 4-2 on Friday and then 3-2 in overtime in Saturday's rematch. With the two victories to start 2026, the club has jumped from eighth in the country to first in the latest U SPORTS national rankings.

Leading the way for the Cougars was veteran forward Blake Stevenson. The Calgary product scored in each of the weekend's games, including a shorthanded goal on Saturday. Stevenson has been red-hot as of late and is riding a five-game goal streak. He also has 11 points in his last eight games.

One of the best two-way forwards in the Canada West, Stevenson's play on both sides of the ice has helped the Cougars roll through their last few games.

The former Calgary Hitman is a fourth-year student enrolled in business.

Players Bench Female Athlete of the Week: Elise Carline

The Mount Royal Cougars women's basketball team split their weekend series against the Manitoba Bisons, with forward Elise Carline making her presence felt in both contests.

In the opening game of the series, Carline recorded the first double-double of her Cougar career, leading the team on the glass with 10 rebounds while adding 12 points. Her physicality and consistency played a key role in the Cougars' performance.

Carline carried that momentum into the second game of the weekend, leading MRU in scoring with 12 points while providing her presence throughout the matchup. 

Carline is a first-year open studies student from Dunedin, New Zealand. 


Players Bench Team Apparel is the sponsor of Mount Royal University's Athletes of the Week and the supplier of the Cougars Under Armour team gear.