Eight in a row for Cougar women

Having seen all four teams in the ACAC women’s hockey division thus far, the Cougars couldn’t be happier with the results.

Eight games into the season (two against each team) the Cougars are undefeated, sporting a perfect 8-0 record, with a pair of wins coming this past weekend versus their cross-town rivals, the SAIT Trojans.

In Friday’s 3-2 overtime (OT) win versus the Trojans, the Cougars used a late powerplay goal with only eight seconds remaining in the extra frame to secure the win.

Up 1-0 after the first period, the SAIT Trojans battled back with a power-play goal of their own five minutes into the second to tie the game.

The Cougars would restore their one goal lead late in period off a Taralynn Suzuki marker, as she continues to rack up goals, her third in seven games this season.

Melanie Vincent would respond for the Trojans in the third period, leaving the game tied at 2-2 after 60 minutes of play.

In the overtime period, the Cougars would catch a break as SAIT’s Heidi Kleinsasser was booked for a hooking penalty with only 20 seconds remaining in OT.

Chelsey Morrill would pounce on the opportunity, as she took a feed from play-maker Chrissy Hodgson to notch her fifth goal of the season with eight seconds left on the game clock.

Leanne Pfilger secured the win in goal, making 13 saves, while teammate  Jesslyn Legasse added two assists for the Cougars.

The Cougars returned to home ice on Saturday for a rematch of Friday’s closely contested affair with the SAIT Trojans, and the Cougars emphatically showed the opposition why they are the best team in the ACAC right now.

Having faltered somewhat on the powerplay the previous weekend, coach Scott Rivett and his staff made the necessary adjustments and they paid off as the Cougars scored three of their four goals with the man-advantage en route to a 4-1 win.

Sara Sharp scored the game’s first goal on the powerplay from Chrissy Hodgson and Shyla Stadnicki to take an early 1-0 lead. Both teams played a close first period, with eight shots apiece.

Stadnicki scored 1:10 into the second period to make it 2-0 Cougars, and Taralynn Suzuki scored five minutes later for her second goal in as many games.

The Trojans would get on the board in the dying seconds of the second period, beating Cougar netminder Kendall Kilgour for the Trojans only goal of the game. Kilgour stopped 25 of 26 shots for the win.

Raylene Cutknife scored the Cougars’ third powerplay goal of the game midway through the third period, and the Cougars rolled to the win, keeping their unbeaten streak alive.

The Cougar women will play the NAIT Ooks twice next weekend in a home-and-home series. They will visit NAIT on Friday night before returning to Flames Community Arenas on Saturday. The puck drops on Saturday at 7:45 p.m.