CALGARY – After missing the final two weekends of the regular season, University of Calgary Dinos fifth-year forward
Delaney Frey was the hero for her team in a 3-2 win over the Mount Royal Cougars to open their best-of-three Canada West semifinal series.
With 12 minutes to play in the third period, Canada West first team all-star
Elizabeth Lang setup Frey with a one-timer off an odd-man rush to put Calgary ahead at the Father David Bauer Arena.
The game was sealed in the late stages by the Dinos' other first team all-star
Kelsey Roberts who withstood pressure by Mount Royal with an extra attacker on the ice and the Dinos down to four skaters.
"It is obviously exciting we are definitely going to enjoy this win," said the fourth-year puck stopper. "It was a pretty big battle for us; a lot of us have never been in playoffs before. We have to enjoy it tonight, but we really need to focus for tomorrow because it is another huge game for us."
In the first period, the Cougars took the early momentum and managed to strike first. Tianna Ko beat Roberts with a wrap around on her backhand for an early advantage halfway through the first period.
Despite giving up the first goal, the Dinos responded with two quick ones. Breaking into the offensive zone,
Holly Reuther fed
Sage Desjardins in tight where she fooled Mount Royal netminder Kaitlyn Ross. Two minutes after the tying goal, Reuther fed
Emily Hill and had her wrist shot from the point go through a screen to give the Dinos the lead.
The Cougars did not back down and came out strong in the second period. Both teams had excellent chances but the only goal of the period belonged to the Cougars as Ko scored her second of the night with eight minutes remaining in the middle frame.
The only goal of the third period belonged to the Dinos on the two-on-one advantage that produced Frey's game-winning tally. The Cougars pulled Ross with two-and-a-half minutes remaining and got additional support when the Dinos received a late penalty. Anna Purschke had the best chance to tie the game with 32 seconds left but could not pull the trigger with the puck loose in front of the crease.
Mere seconds later, the Cougars took a penalty to send the play into their end where the Dinos closed the game out.
The second game of this best-of-three series takes place on Saturday night at 6 p.m. from the Father David Bauer Arena.
