Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
CALGARY – Second periods were not kind to MacEwan hockey teams on Friday night.
Both Griffins men's and women's teams were outscored 4-0 in the middle frame by their respective Mount Royal University opponents.
MacEwan's women's hockey team played a much stronger third period, but still lost 6-1 to the Cougars in Canada West action.
"We had a strong first period," noted Griffins' interim head coach Chris Leeming. "We came out 0-0. They scored in the first 30 seconds of the second and I think it just really deflated us.
"Our overall game play in the second period was not characteristic of what we've done in the last five or six weeks. It just derailed us. The second was just not a great showing for us overall as a team."
As a result, the Griffins fall to 6-18-1, while the Cougars improve to 17-5-3 in the standings.
Courtney Kollman led Mount Royal with two goals and an assist, while Aliya Jomha recorded three assists.
Claire Hobbs had MacEwan's lone goal off a pass from Allee Isley 12:46 into the third period.
"When we were playing well, we had a good strong forecheck and created a scoring chance in front of the net," said Leeming. "There was a little bit of a scrum, and their goalie was down. We made a centring pass to Hobbs in front, and she took advantage of the open net."
Unfortunately, MRU scored just seven seconds later and added another with 30 seconds left to seal it.
Brooke Fawcett finished with 23 saves for MacEwan, while Kaitlyn Ross stopped 16 for MRU.
The teams will meet again on Saturday (5 p.m., Downtown Community Arena, Canada West TV). Leeming is looking for a return to how they were playing back in January.
"Big picture, we've been playing good hockey for the last five or six weeks here," he said. "It was just one period we took off and a team like Mount Royal that has some offensive skill, they're going to capitalize on that. If we had played like we did in the first and third, that game's a lot closer overall.
"It's just getting back to our game plan and executing our details and being disciplined with that – doing all the right things."
