Box Score Lethbridge - The Mount Royal Cougars topped the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns by a 3-1 score Friday night in the first of a two game home and
home series.

Janessa Jenkins, Ellen Lind, and Reanna Arnold each netted individual markers for the Cougars.

Chelsea Minor notched the lone goal for Lethbridge.

Jessica Ross started in net for Mount Royal, stopping all but one of the 26 shots she faced, while Crystal Patterson got the start for Lethbridge, stopping 27 of 30 shots on goal.

Rachel Piitz had a great early effort in close, for the Cougars but Patterson stood tall between the pipes for Lethbridge, stonewalling the streaking forward to keep the visiting team off the scoreboard.

MRU's persistent pressure paid off soon enough though, as less than five minutes into the opening frame, Jenkins secured Tara-Lynn Suzuki's rebound
and sent a wrister high blocker side past Patterson.

Late in the frame, the Cougars had a glorious chance to increase their lead off the stick of Maggie Shykula, however her hard slap shot would
ring off the post and go wide.

Heading into the first intermission, shots on net were deadlocked at 7-7.

Capitalizing on a turnover in the Horns end, Mount Royal's Emily Harrison quickly took to the net, looking to double up on her team's lead, early in the second period. Drawing the puck wide to her backhand, the fourth year forward couldn't manage to get the shot off from just in front of the crease.

The Cougars netted their second goal, a great effort by Lind, from Jade Osadchuck and Cylenna Alexander, at 16:34, and moments later, Arnold managed to get a quick shot off as she fell to her knees at the side of the net, extending her team's lead to three.

Moments later, the Horns solved Cougars goalie Jessica Ross. Amid a flurry of bodies, Chelsea Minor somehow got a stick on the puck and slid one past Ross, putting the Horns on the board as time expired in the second. Shots through two periods favoured the Cougars 23-17.

Despite some great chances in the third, the Horns were unable to mount a comeback, falling 3-1 in regulation. With this win the Cougars improve to 6-14-3 (CW) while the Horns fall to 7-12-4 (CW). Game two of the weekend series goes tomorrow night in Calgary and the game will be also be streamed live at canadawest.tv