CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos women's hockey team fell to Mount Royal Cougars 1-0 in a shootout in the ninth instalment of the Crowchild Classic Friday afternoon at the Scotiabank Saddledome for the annual celebration of university sport in Calgary. 

The loss snaps a five-game win streak for Calgary and puts the Dinos at 11-8-4, while the Cougars move to 15-5-3, ending their four-game losing streak.  

Both teams took the first frame to get a feel for the big stage, with no big tests for either netminder.

However, the Dinos were tested when the Cougars were afforded a two-on-one play after a miscommunicated line change, but veteran defender Emily Hill made a sliding save to stop Mount Royal from even reaching the slot.

Both teams came out strong in the second, clearly re-energized and comfortable in their new environment. 

Just before the halfway mark of the second frame, Calgary's Rebecca Clarke got her stick on the puck in the Cougar zone and danced around the defence to get a shot, but was unable to find the back of the net. 

The Dinos had another opportunity with only a few seconds left in the second period when Annaliese Meier found some open ice in the neutral zone and drove towards the net but was stopped by the Cougars' defence before she could get into the slot. 

In the third frame, the opponents played a more conservative and cautious game, evidently not wanting to let the enemy get on the scoreboard.  

Calgary's netminder Gabriella Durante came up big in the last few minutes of the third, making two outstanding back-to-back saves to deny Mount Royal and to push the game into overtime, and eventually double OT.

Mount Royal's Tatum Amy had a great opportunity to end the game when she intercepted a turnover to give herself a breakaway, but Durante stood tall.  

Nevertheless, the Dinos battled back, trying to capitalize on a power play and a scramble in front of the net, but they just could not buy a goal. 

The game ultimately had to turn to a shootout, the first time that has ever happened for either a men's or women's games at the Scotiabank Saddledome, where the Cougars took the game.

Durante notched an impressive 29 saves in the loss and was named one of the three stars of the game, while Mount Royal goalie Kaitlyn Ross made 18. 

"I thought we played really well, we dominated in overtime, which was nice," Durante said. "The first period wasn't our best, but we got better as the game went on, even though it is kind of frustrating when you don't put the puck in the back of the net, but overall we got a point out of it and it was a good game for us.

"The atmosphere was awesome, even in overtime when the other team scored you could really hear the crowd and it's loud on the ice and that's super exciting to have people come out to the women's game. It's awesome and it grows the sport and the game for women, too. It was hard and nerve-wracking, but once you get settled it was a very rewarding experience." 

The Dinos will take on their crosstown rivals Saturday for a rematch at Father David Bauer Arena. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m.

-UC-