Jason Hills
For MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON — They didn't get fully rewarded, but the MacEwan Griffins can be happy with the way they responded against the Mount Royal Cougars.
After one of their most frustrating losses of the season, MacEwan responded with a gritty and resilient effort in a 3-2 shootout loss on MRU on Saturday night at the Downtown Community Arena.
Jordyn Hutt scored the lone goal for Mount Royal in the shootout, as the Cougars improved to 4-2, while MacEwan fell to 0-5-1.
Rian Santos and Megan Dolynchuk scored for MacEwan and Sydney Benko and Julia Duke tallied for MRU in regulation.
"We're moving in the right direction. We haven't been satisfied with how we've been playing, and we have to take it to heart and get to work and play games that we're happy with," said Santos.
Taya Currie was outstanding between the pipes for MacEwan. She made a career-high 44 saves in the loss, while Katherine Holan made 23 saves for Mount Royal.
After generating just five shots in a 2-0 loss to MRU on Friday, the Griffins found themselves in an early hole.
Benko's fourth goal of the season at the 8:47 mark of the opening frame gave Mount Royal a 1-0 lead. Benko was in the perfect spot to bang in a rebound off a shot from Kiana McNinch.
Santos tied the contest at 1-1 just 4:59 later, as she took a shot along the goal line that took a funny bounce off the skate of Holan and into the net.
"Allee (Isley) had good F-1 pressure and the puck popped out into the corner, and I was on the goal-line and I took a dead angle shot, and it hit (Holan's) skate, and she scored on herself. I'll take it," said Santos.
"The ref blew the whistle, but she didn't signal a goal right away, and I was trying to tell her before the goalie took the puck out of the net."
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Hockey (@GriffinsWHKY) October 18, 2025
Rian Santos deflects it in off the goaltender to knot the score 1-1 in the first period! @MacEwanGriffins #GriffNation pic.twitter.com/fAY6TL2abv
The game didn't stay tied long, as MRU cashed in just 48 seconds later when Duke won a race to a loose puck and broke in on a partial breakaway. She made a nice move and beat Currie through the pads to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead.
One area of their game the Griffins need to get going is their power play. They finished 0-for-4. In the second period, they had a five-on-three power play for 1:14 and weren't able to score.
So far in six games, their power play is 0-for-27.
"We got to get more movement. We have good puck movement, but we need to move as a unit together," said Santos. "Today, they switched to a more aggressive PK, especially in the third, and we have to find better ways to get open for each other."
MRU outshot MacEwan 21-10 in the opening period, and had plenty of momentum going their way, but the Griffins held their own in the final 40 minutes.
One of their best chances to tie the game in the second period came off a Cougars turnover. Dolynchuk got the puck all alone in the slot, but. Holan came up with a big pad save, and Santos just missed on a rebound.
"Our offence kept pushing, and we really tried to get more shots… there was no quit, and it was great to see the girls keep pushing until the end," said Santos.
Their forecheck was effective and forced MRU into several turnovers that led to some quality scoring chances, and they were rewarded with the tying goal with 6:36 left.
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Hockey (@GriffinsWHKY) October 19, 2025
Megan Dolynchuk pots the rebound off Jordana Jones' shot off the rush to tie the score 2-2 and send this one to overtime.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/DBGbN3qcOf
The Griffins forced a turnover in the neutral zone, and Sydney Olsen chipped the puck up to Jordana Jones, who rifled a shot that Holan was able to make a pad save on, but Dolynchuk jumped on the juicy rebound and scored her second goal of the season.
It marked Jones' first-ever Canada-West point.
"Meg had a good stick in the neutral zone to pop the puck loose. I was in a good spot and when I got the pass, I just wanted to get the puck on net. I threw it on net, and Meg was in a perfect spot to get the rebound in," said Jones.
"I was really happy she scored … and for the team too, it was a big goal to tie it up."
MacEwan will travel to B.C. next weekend to face the Trinity Western Spartans (4-2).