CALGARY – On the season's biggest stage, the University of Calgary Dinos led by
Rachel Paul and
Kelsey Roberts, took a bite out of the Mount Royal University Cougars' playoffs hopes, winning 2-1 in the seventh installment of the Crowchild Classic at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
"It meant a lot to us to win the Crowchild, especially coming off the year we've had," said Paul after her two point performance.
The Dinos victory this evening was the third win over the Cougars this season, and their second straight at the Crowchild Classic.
The home side Cougars didn't waste any time testing Dinos netminder
Kelsey Roberts. 51 seconds in, speedster Tianna Ko broke in clean, but couldn't beat the glove of Roberts.
Mount Royal through the first 15 minutes controlled the majority of the play, using the early Ko chance as momentum. Before the Dinos found their legs, Megan Carver launched a high wrister off the rush that grazed the mask of Roberts. The face save was Roberts tenth of the period.
Rachel Paul, who proved to be a force throughout, had the best chance of the first for the Dinos.
Paul along with linemates
Delaney Frey and
Sage Desjardins hemmed the Cougars in the offensive zone after defender Daria O'Neill lost her stick. Despite the push back, the game remained goal-less heading into the second.
Seven minutes into the middle stanza, the see-saw battle started to open up. Cougars standout rookie Breanne Trotter off the rush cut hard to the goal of Roberts. Trotter tried to force the puck in on the backhand, but Roberts despite getting run over by Dinos and Cougars, somehow kept the puck out.
The play went back the other way, as
Brooke Dennett sprung Paul on a breakaway. Tori Williams pressured Paul and hauled her down from behind, leading to a penalty shot. Paul rifled the puck over the net and Cougars netminder Zoe DeBeauville keeping the game scoreless.
In what seemed like a matter of time, Paul finally opened the scoring with four minutes to play in the second. Off a neutral zone faceoff, Paul danced through the middle before finding some space off the left circle. Paul looked off Desjardins who went to the net and roofed the puck over DeBeauville.
"After the penalty shot I felt I had to redeem myself, so it was nice to get a goal," Paul added.
Paul's team leading fifth of the season would hold up as the only goal through 40 minutes.
Down a goal to start the third, the Cougars wasted no time tying up the tilt. 28 seconds in, forward Anna Purschke directly off a faceoff ripped the puck past Roberts making it 1-1.
Less than two minutes later,
Taylor Beck restored the one goal cushion. Paul off a faceoff threw the puck wide before Beck jammed away on DeBeauville. The persistence paid off, as Beck trickled the puck in to make it 2-1. The jam play was Beck's first goal as a Dino.
"I just whacked at her pad and was just going at it," said Beck on the game winning goal. "I don't know to be honest how it went in."
In the final ten minutes of the game, the Cougars ramped up the pressure throwing everything at Roberts and company. With five minutes to play off a miscue from Frey and Paul, the Cougars quickly transitioned up the ice.
On the 3-on-2 rush, Purschke fired wrister that Roberts stopped. The rebound came right to Nicolette Seper who was robbed blind by Roberts. Roberts' best save of the night kept the Dinos up a goal.
"We hung Kelsey out to dry on that play," Paul added. "We couldn't do anything without Kelsey… she's the backbone of our team for sure."
The Dinos managed to squeeze out the win, thanks to the post. With less than 10 seconds to go and up a skater, O'Neill from the blue line fluttered a wrister through seven skaters past Roberts and square off the right post.
Sara Craven cleared the puck and final horn sounded.
The victory completed the series sweep over the Cougars, good for the Dinos first of the season.
Both teams will have a two day break before playing again on Friday, Feb. 3. The Dinos will travel to Regina to face the Cougars while Mount Royal will face off with the Saskatchewan Huskies.
-UC-
