CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos scored four third-period goals to defeat the Mount Royal University Cougars 7-6 in a scrappy scorefest on Friday night at the Flames Community Arenas.

Mount Royal opened the scoring just over a minute into the first period after Riley Sawchuk won a faceoff on the left side of the offensive zone. In the middle of the ice, Nolan Yaremko's slapshot beat Dinos goaltender Brodan Salmond glove side. 

Calgary answered back quickly with two goals. Riley Stotts dangled his way up the left side from centre ice beating two Mount Royal defenders before finding Kaden Elder skating straight towards the net. Elder's one-timed the puck into a wide-open Cougars net. A cross-ice pass from Max Patterson to Jaegar White allowed White to walk his way in and roof it over Mount Royal netminder Riley Morris.

The Cougars took advantage of one of the many penalties called in the first period and tied the game up 2-2 going into the second. A slapshot from Levi Kleiboer from the left point was tipped in front by Josh Tarzwell.

Mount Royal came out scoring in the second period putting up three goals in the first 10 minutes. A battle on the left boards was won by Ryley Lindgren, who found Sean Richards hanging out in the right circle. Richards backhand spin-o-rama beat a sprawled out Salmond.

From below the goal line, Sawchuk found an unmarked Yaremko who picked his spot and released a laser beating the Calgary goaltender clean over his left shoulder. A wrister from Kaden Jensen bounced off the right pad of Salmond right on the tape of Sawchuk, who was waiting in front of the net. After the Sawchuk goal, Salmond was replaced by Tyler Gutenberg.

A scramble ensued in front of the MRU net with just over a minute remaining in the second. Morris was unable to locate the puck before Bradley Schoonbaert, who had been knocked down earlier in the play, swiped at it as he laid down on the ice. The puck slid into the bottom left corner to make it a two-goal game/

The Dinos came out in the third thirsty for more goals. Two power play opportunities allowed Calgary to tie the game. A saucer pass from Stotts to Elder set him up on the faceoff dot, scoring a wrister off the right post and into the Cougar net. A few minutes later, a bouncing puck in the middle of the zone ended up on Stotts stick, who one-timed it past the shoulder of Morris. 

A turnover by Mount Royal at their blueline seemed to be harmless until Sean Strange sent a floater on goal, handcuffing Morris. The rebound dropped in front, which was scooped up by a diving Josh Rieger.

Mount Royal answered back with a short-handed two-on-one three minutes later. A beautiful tik tac toe play between Yaremko and Sawchuk tied the game back up.

The game-winning goal was scored on a short-handed two-on-one breakaway. Elder's original shot was deflected high into the air and batted into the net by Stotts, who was sitting on the ice after losing his balance moments prior.

The Cougars had an opportunity to tie the game in the game's final seconds, but Gutenberg made a clutch save to end it.

Action shifts to Father David Bauer Arena on Saturday night with a 6 p.m. puck drop between the Dinos and Cougars.