LANGLEY, British Columbia – A tough second period was the difference as the Trinity Western Spartans dropped a 2-1 decision to the visiting No. 5 Mount Royal Cougars Saturday afternoon at the Langley Events Centre. The loss drops the Spartans to 8-5-1-0, while the win improves the Cougars to 11-2-0-1.
 
Scoring for the Spartans was fifth-year Kyra McDonald (Inuvik, NT)
Scoring for the Cougars were Allee Gerrard and Kiana McNinch
 
Trinity Western fifth-year goalie Kate Fawcett (Tottenham, Ont.) made 24 saves in the Spartans' loss. Mount Royal's Katherine Holan made 22 saves in the Cougars' win.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans will now travel to Edmonton, Alta., to take on the Alberta Pandas on Friday, November 28, and Saturday, November 29. Game times are set for 7 p.m. (MT) and 5 p.m. (MT) at the Clare Drake Arena and can be seen live on Canada West TV.
 
QUOTABLE
Peter Hay, TWU Head Coach
"We prepared and played the right way. Our players adjusted and gave their best. We came up short. It felt like a playoff game, so it was great for us to learn how tight it will be in the playoffs. We will continue to stick to the process and keep growing, and hope we get some better outcomes for our hard work in the future. We should also likely stay out of the penalty box, too."

AS IT HAPPENED
After an evenly played scoreless opening period where MRU outshot TWU 11-8, the Cougars' Gerrard got the only goal of the second period when she converted a breakaway opportunity at 7:02. The Cougars had the better of the Spartans in the second period, outshooting TWU 10-3 to lead 1-0 after 40 minutes.
 
Mount Royal's McNinch put the Cougars up 2-0 when she found the far post on the power play to put the Cougars up 2-0 at 1:13 of the third period. TWU's McDonald made it a one-goal game at 6:02. From behind the net, TWU fifth-year forward Choe Reid (Leduc, Alta.) found McDonald between the circles, where she notched her seventh of the season to make it 2-1 for MRU. The Spartans dominated the third period, outshooting the Cougars 12-5, but were unable to get the equalizer as MRU prevailed 2-1.
 
NOTABLE

• The Cougars outshot the Spartans 26-23.
• TWU was 0-4 on the power play, while Mount Royal finished 1-6.
• The Spartans are currently 4-17 lifetime against the Mount Royal Cougars
• Last night the Spartans defeated the Cougars 2-1 (1-0) in a shootout at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C.

 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as in the NAIA in track and field and cross country and as an independent team in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 33 Canada West team championships.

About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in U SPORTS. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.  
 
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