Griffins lose Hockey Day in Canada game 7-0 to Cougars in Canmore
MacEwan Athletics and MRU Athletics
CANMORE, Alta. – The excitement of being part of Hockey Day in Canada celebrations with a showcase game against the Mount Royal Cougars gave way to disappointment on the ice for the Griffins as they ended up on the wrong end of a 7-0 blowout loss on Saturday afternoon.
The defeat comes on the heels of a 6-2 setback to the Cougars in Edmonton on Thursday and matches the most goals the team has given up in a weekend series since joining Canada West in 2021; they also allowed 13 in a series against UBC last season.
With the result, the Cougars improve to 15-4-3, while the Griffins drop to 2-15-3 in the Canada West standings.
Nothing much worked for the Griffins on Saturday as MRU scored three times in the first period and three more times in the second to gain an insurmountable lead.
Griffins' netminder Lindsey Johnson set the tone for her squad in the first with a huge save on Jerzey Watteyne who escaped for a breakaway.
However, Mount Royal found the back of the net a few minutes later. Kaia Borbandy picked no better time to score her first of the season, whacking the puck through Johnson on a broken play.
Just a few minutes later Kaia's sister, Abbey, added to MRU's lead. Abbey Borbandy finished off a great passing play, sneaking back door for a tap-in goal.
In the shadows of Bow Valley's Three Sisters, Mount Royal's two sisters had the Cougars up 2-0.
Gabby Lindsay made it 3-0 just 32 seconds later.
Heading into the first intermission, MRU had a stranglehold on the game.
Early in the second period, Mount Royal was awarded a powerplay, with Kori Paterson going off for bodychecking.
On the ensuing advantage, Cougars' captain Lyndsey Janes let go of a howitzer from the blueline, one-timing a shot into the bottom corner to make it 4-0.
After Ashley Grice made it 5-0, the Griffins called a timeout intending to regroup in a game that had quickly slipped away from them.
But MRU kept their foot on the gas as Kaia Borbandy scored her second of the game just seven seconds out of the timeout.
Watteyne got her seventh of the year late in the third to make it 7-0.
Despite a pair of powerplays in the third, MacEwan could not beat Scout Anderson. The third-year netminder recorded her second shutout of the season and sixth of her career.
Next up for the Griffins is a pair of home games vs. Manitoba on Jan. 24-25.
Sportsnet's Evanka Osmak poses with captains of both teams (Griffins' captain Sydney Olsen is on the right) after a pre-game interview (MRU Cougars photo).
