Box Score
Lethbridge, AB – Playing the back half of a home-and-home series, the Mount Royal Cougars completed the weekend sweep of the Lethbridge Pronghorns with a 5-3 win.
 
Cam Maclise scored twice for the Cougars, while Jamal Watson, Connor Rankin and Devin Gannon each added singles. Brandon Clowes, Clint Filbrandt and Justin Valentino responded for the Pronghorns.
 
The 'Horns fall to 8-9-3 on the season and are now tied with the Manitoba Bisons for fifth place in Canada West. With the sweep the Cougars improve to 13-6-1 and are tied for second spot with the Alberta Golden Bears.
 
Both teams came out of the gates with a fast start and the best chance came from 'Horns forward Dalton Sward on a partial breakaway, but he was denied by the right pad of Chris Cooper.
 
However, the Pronghorns would open the scoring first as Clowes deflected home a Blake Orban's point shot for his sixth of the season.
 
The Cougars responded seconds later with a marker from Watson, whose backhand shot eluded Ketlo, blocker side.
 
The 'Horns looked to regain the lead on their first power play of the night, but it was the Cougars who  would get the better opportunities with two odd man rushes. On a three-on-one Grant Baker beat Ketlo but not the post.
 
Dalton Sward would get another great opportunity on a Pronghorn penalty kill, cutting in front of the Cougars defenseman, but would shoot high and wide.
 
On a late two man advantage, the Cougars broke the deadlock with Maclise scoring the first of two on the night, banging home a loose puck during a goal mouth scramble.
 
Shots would favour Mount Royal in the first period by 20-11.
 
The 'Horns had a glorious chance midway through the second period, Sward took a bounce off the back board, but Cooper would come up with a glove save.
 
The 'Horns would tie game as Filbrandt beat Cooper with a seeing-eye shot from the high slot, but the tie was short lived. Just over a minute later Canada West leading goal scorer Connor Rankin would get the puck in the slot and wrist the puck high glove to regain the Cougars lead.
 
Shots after the second period strongly favoured the Cougars 27-19.
 
On another power play, the Cougars extended their lead to two. Gannon redirected Tanner Olstad's point shot for his fifth of the season.
 
Midway through the third, Rankin powered his way past a 'Horns defenseman and Damien Ketlo came up with his best save of the evening with a big right pad save to keep the 'Horns within two.
 
The Pronghorns would finally get back to a one-goal hockey game as Justin Valentino would go back hand high glove for his 13^th of the season.
 
Maclise sealed the game for the Cougars with an empty netter with only 47-seconds to play
 
Mount Royal's Colin Cooper would finish the game with 27 saves on 30 shots in the win, while Ketlo finished the game with 43 saves in the loss.
 
The Pronghorns are back in action next week at home, taking on the University of Manitoba Bisons who are also fighting for a playoff spot in the Canada West conference. Friday's game starts at 7pm (MT) and Saturday at 1pm (MT), both at Nicholas Sheran Arena. The Cougars will head out on the road, traveling to Regina in a battle of the Cougars