Men’s team will compete for CW and U SPORTS Championships, women lose in semifinals | 

Naomi Campbell, Staff Writer | 

Get ready, Cougars fans, as the Canada West Playoffs are underway. Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams dominated the regular season and were fired up to defeat their competition. With the men finishing their season as the first seed in their division and the women finishing in second, MRU headed into the postseason as a huge force to be reckoned with. Both teams had players selected for 1st and 2nd Team Canada West All Stars, as well as the All-Rookie Team, and were ranked in the U SPORTS Top 10 National Rankings every week of the season. As they wrapped up their regular season and headed into the playoffs, both teams were hopeful to make it all the way to the end and come out victorious in the Canada West Finals and U SPORTS National Tournament, but only one advanced past the semifinals. 

The best in the West

MRU’s men’s hockey team had an amazing season, and with their 22-6 record, they claimed the first seed in the West division. Throughout their regular season, they have shown to be a high-powered offensive force against their opponents. Players such as Connor Bouchard and Canada West points-leader Clay Hanus have been selected to be a part of the Canada West 1st Team All Stars because of their ability to lead their team to important victories, something they were hoping to do in the semifinals against the University of Alberta Golden Bears. 

The Cougars showed their offensive skills in their final four games of the season by overpowering the opposing teams with their ability to score in bunches. During their final home games on Feb. 7 and 8, MRU scored 17 goals between two games, with Josh Tarzwell and Jayden Wiens accounting for seven goals combined. Advancing past the quarterfinal round allowed them to take a week off to prepare for their semifinal matchup against the University of Alberta. 

The Golden Bears have been a strong contender all season as well, so their matchup was not easy, but our Cougars made history in their semifinal series.

Breaking the semifinal curse

Heading into the semifinals, the men were on the hunt to make it to their first ever Canada West Finals since joining U SPORTS in 2012. Game one of the series was an aggressive start to the head to head matchup between the provincial rivals. Both teams went back and forth on the scoring, leaving regulation all tied up at two goals a piece. The game ended in overtime with an unreal goal by fourth-year forward Spencer Moe, giving the Cougars a 3-2 victory and 1-0 series lead. 

Heading into game two with a win under their belts, the boys were shut out by Alberta’s goaltender Tyler Palmer, with the Golden Bears scoring six goals to push us into a third game. After losing in game two, the boys were determined to send the University of Alberta packing. After 60 minutes of intense hockey in game three, rookie Justin Lies scored the game-winning goal for the Cougars to send them to the Canada West Finals.  

MRU is set to play against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canada West Finals. The Cougars were on the losing end of their last playoff matchup with the Huskies and can use that as motivation for their matchup against Saskatchewan and win the Canada West Men’s Hockey Championship. The series starts on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. and all games will be broadcast live on Canada West TV.

Tipping our hat (tricks)

With a season record of 18-10, the MRU women’s hockey team have shown a strong will to win with their aggressive defensive style of playing. The team has consistently fought hard to make it to the playoffs, and after finishing the season with the second seed in the West division, they have done just that. Goalie Kaitlyn Ross was named one of this year’s Canada West 2nd Team All Stars as one of, if not the best goalie in the country. 

Coming back from their FISU World University Games debut, Aliya Jomha and Alex Spence have been two of the top performers on the Cougars team and were key components in pushing their team to a successful outcome in the postseason. Falling short in their last home games against Trinity Western University, they came back strong to defeat the University of Regina Cougars, sweeping them in their quarterfinals matchup. 

With Jerzey Watteyne scoring MRU’s first ever playoff hat trick in the second game of the series, the quarterfinals set the tone for the women heading into their semifinal games against the University of Alberta Pandas. 

All good things come to an end

In their series against the University of Alberta Pandas, the women were ready to lay everything on the line in hopes of reaching the Canada West Finals for the third time. In game one, the Cougars came out on top, beating the Pandas 3-2 in a double overtime thriller. 

After winning their first game, the women came into game two ecstatic, hoping to complete a semifinal sweep. Unfortunately, they fell short, losing 0-1 as the Pandas forced a third game. With their heads held high, MRU knew that game three was set to be an intense matchup, as the Cougars gave one final push to set themselves apart and advance to the Canada West Finals. 

The women played an aggressive game and held a 2-1 lead for most of the third period. In the final minutes, the Pandas scored to tie it up, sending the game into overtime. Ross held her ground in the net, but sadly, the puck slid right past her into the net in the dying minutes of the game, ending the Cougars’ women’s hockey season on a 2-3 loss. 

Wishing the men luck

After three full nights of gruelling hockey, Mount Royal fans will be cheering on our men’s hockey team as they face the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canada West Finals. Even though the women’s season has sadly come to an end, they played like champions throughout the entire regular season and all the way through the playoffs. 

Mount Royal fans can cheer on the boys as they head to Saskatoon to compete for the Canada West Championship from March 7-9, with all games being broadcast live on Canada West TV. As well, the men will be heading to Ottawa to play in the U SPORTS University Cup from March 20-23, which will be broadcast live on CBC.

Naomi Campbell is a Staff Writer for The Reflector 2024-2025.