Calgary, AB – The Mount Royal Cougars defeated the Calgary Dinos 3-1 Friday night at Flames Community Arenas. Tanner Olstad, Tyler Fiddler and Riley Point scored for the Cougars. Coda Gordan scored the lone goal for the Dinos.
 
The Cougars and Dinos picked up right where they left off in last season's Canada West Semifinals. There was certainly no love lost between the two sides as the hitting came early and often in the first few minutes of the contest.
 
6:17 into the first Tyler Fiddler got the puck to Grant Baker on the point. Baker surveyed the ice and hit Tanner Olstad in the high slot with a slap pass. Olstad instinctively redirected the puck with a high tip that fooled Steven Stanford, making it 1-0 Mount Royal.
 
Just over two minutes later, Jamie King went to work below the goal line. King shrugged off two defenders and circled in front of the net. Stanford stopped King's initial attempt but Fiddler muscled the puck through the goaltender's legs, to increase the lead to two.
 
Late in the first, the Dinos looked to have scored but the goal was waived off after a high stick. The Cougars took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
 
Midway through the second, the Cougars earned themselves a 5-on-3 but were unable to capitalize. Soon after the second minor expired, Zack Henry took a penalty putting the Dinos on the power play.
 
As the penalty expired, Tanner Olstad saw Riley Point streaking towards the goal. Olstad zipped a perfect pass onto the stick of Point. Point quickly redirected the puck into the far side corner.
 
Up 3-0, with the seconds winding down in the third, Cougars Captain Matt Brown went hard to the net and bumped Stanford. The Dinos were unable to capitalize during the first minute and the penalty carried over to the third period.
 
The Cougars poured on the pressure in the third period. Their work down low yielded another 5-on-3 power play. Cam Maclise and Jordan McNaughton were magic with the puck but they just couldn't add to their lead.
 
Coda Gordon scored late for the Dinos to break up Colin Cooper's shutout bid.
 
With the win, the Cougars improve to 7-4-2, while the Dinos fall to 4-6-3.
 
The Crowchild Classic will resume tomorrow night at Father David Bauer Arena. Puck drop is slated for 6:00pm.