EDMONTON - Athena Hauck scored the game winning goal early in the third period as the Mount Royal Cougars held on to beat the Alberta Pandas 3-2 in a thriller at Clare Drake Arena Saturday afternoon.

She was aided on the scoresheet by Kate Scidmore, and Aliya Jomha, the latter of whom moved into a tie for second in the Canada West goals race with her fourth.
 
Bree Kennedy and Allison Reich had the goals for the Pandas, both coming in the second period.
 
This concludes the regular season series between the two squads, with the Cougars ultimately winning it 2-1. The overall goal difference of 7-6, in favour of Mount Royal, illustrates just how competitive the games between the squads were this campaign.
 
Bree Kennedy and Natalie Kieser both had a game-high two points, with Kieser assisting on both Pandas goals.
 
The win vaults the Cougars into first place in the Canada West, with a 6-1-1 record thus far. Their goal differential of +20 paces the conference as well.
 
Alberta drops to third in the conference, and at 4-1-1 were handed their first regulation loss of the season, with their only other loss coming at the hands of the very same Cougars; a shootout loss in mid-October.
 
The first period was one dominated by the netminders. Alberta's Kirsten Chamberlain and MRU's Zoe De Beauville turned eight shots aside a piece.
 
The second frame more than made up for a milquetoast opening period, as each squad netted two goals.
 
The scoring was opened on the stick of MRU's Kate Scidmore, who sniped a shot from the slot past Chamberlin to make it 1-0.
 
The score would not stay for long, as Bree Kennedy equalized no more than 30 seconds later on a tip goal from a Kieser point shot.
 
Rookie Allison Reich scored her second career goal midway through the frame, on a crease rebound that was also assisted by Kieser, her fourth of the season.
 
Aliya Jomha potted a goal with a minute and a half remaining to level the score heading into the final frame.
 
The third was opened with the eventual game winning goal from Athena Hauck, a nifty shot that Chamberlin got a piece of with her glove.
 
Each squad had three powerplay opportunities but failed to capitalize, with all goals coming at even strength.

The Pandas return to action after the reading break, travelling to Vancouver on November 19^th to face the UBC Thunderbirds (4-2-0) in a two-game set. The Cougars stay at home to open a two-game series of their own against the Manitoba Bisons (6-2-0), also starting on the 19^th.