BOX SCORE CALGARY – Rookie midfielder Kieran Hay scored the game-winner and assisted on the insurance tally as the University of Calgary Dinos outduelled the Mount Royal University Cougars Sunday afternoon, emerging with a 2-0 win over their new crosstown rivals.

With the victory combined with a tie by Lethbridge, the Dinos (3-4-2) made up two points on the Pronghorns (3-2-4) in the race for the third and final playoff spot in Canada West's prairie division. Mount Royal falls to 2-7-1 as the Cougars continue to search for their first victory on the pitch, with both their wins to this point coming by forfeit.

The win, combined with a 2-2 draw against the Cougars Saturday, resulted in a four-point weekend for the Dinos – and head coach Brian McDonnell was pleased to see his team starting to improve at a pivotal moment of the season.

“It was a big weekend, getting points in consecutive games for the first time this year,” said McDonnell, the Dinos' third-year bench boss. “We're taking a step in the right direction, it puts us back in the mix, and it makes next weekend even more important. We put a challenge out to them today to make them understand that it would either put us in that mix or knock us out of it, and I think they responded to that.”

For the second straight day, the two teams battled a stiff north wind throughout the game, one the Dinos had the advantage of in the second half – but it was into the wind that Calgary scored its first goal.

On the 39th minute, forward Brett Howard did some good work on the left side and sent a cross into the penalty area for Dominic Russo. Russo quickly flicked the ball to Hay, and the freshman one-timed it past Cougars 'keeper David Thalheimer to make it 1-0 Dinos.

Kamil Zielinski replaced Thalheimer at halftime, and he was tested often in the second half as the Dinos directed eight shots his way after the break – one of which got past him. On the 63rd minute, Hay set up for one of only two corners in the game for Calgary. His perfectly-placed ball found the forehead of Dominick Zator, who directed it cleanly into the top right corner for a 2-0 lead.

The Dinos had two more chances in the late stages of the game, but both Lane Forsyth and Luke Mori got in too tight and their shots went right into the waiting arms of Zileinski.

Calgary heads on the road next week for a pair against the Winnipeg Wesmen in the Manitoba capital, and they'll be keeping an eye on proceedings with Mount Royal as well: the Cougars take on Lethbridge Oct. 13-14 in a key series at the MRU Stadium Field in southwest Calgary.

“Next week is very important – you never know what the conditions are going to be like in Winnipeg in mid-October,” said McDonnell. “But with another good week of training we have a chance to get right back in that playoff hunt next week.”

NOTES: It was the first win by either school in any sport in the new crosstown rivalry after the women's soccer teams drew 1-1 and Saturday's men's soccer tie … Calgary and Mount Royal will meet 14 other times in hockey, volleyball, and basketball over the course of the 2012-13 regular season … the Dinos had the edge in shots (12-10) and shots on goal (9-4), while the Cougars led in corner kicks with six against Calgary's two … all eight corner kicks were fielded by the team with the wind … four yellow cards and two red cards were handed out on the afternoon …

-UC-