Dan Khavkin, Cougar Athletics
CALGARY- The No. 3 ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies used four second period goals in a 4-1 win to complete a sweep of the Mount Royal University Cougars Saturday night in Flames Community Arena.
Mount Royal jumped on the board first with a Brad Kennedy power play goal at 9:51 in the first period. Connor Rankin slid the puck to Kennedy who was sitting at the top of the crease. After a slight hesitation, he flicked the puck over the shoulder and into the roof the net by Jordon Cooke.
Two straight Huskie goals less than five minutes apart gave the visitors their first lead of the contest. Carson Stadnyk connected on a Jordan Tkatch feed from behind the net at 4:58 that evened the game at one. Collin Shirley walked in on Cam Lanigan from the corner and tucked in a wrist shot on the far-side to give the Huskies their first lead of the game 8:04 into the second. Saskatchewan again found the back of the net on a Levi Cable breakaway who went on to beat Lanigan low-blocker at 14:58. Jesse Forsberg slapped in a shot from the point through a crowd of bodies with three seconds left in the frame.
With the win, the Huskies improve to 11-2-1. The Cougars drop to 6-7-1 after the weekend sweep. A night earlier, the Huskies won 3-2.
Lanigan stopped 14 of 18 but was pulled in favour of back-up Wyatt Hoflin in the third. Hoflin stopped all three shots he faced. Cooke made 32 saves for Saskatchewan at the other end of the ice.
MRU will meet the Alberta Golden Bears in a home-and-home set against the Alberta Golden Bears next weekend, while Saskatchewan will have a provincial battle with the Regina Cougars.