SASKATOON – In a game that saw nine goals and multiple lead changes, the visiting Mount Royal Cougars were able to hold off the Saskatchewan Huskies for a season-opening 5-4 victory inside Merlis Belsher Place on Friday night.
 
Connor Rankin and Jesse Lees both tallied twice for the Cougars, who also received a goal from Keegan Iverson in the victory. Riley Morris recorded 19 saves to pick up the victory in net.
 
Four different scorers got on the board for Saskatchewan, with Collin Shirley, Layne Young, Kohl Bauml and Carson Stadnyk all starting their 2019-20 campaigns off with a tally. Gordie Ballhorn and Levi Cable both added a pair of helpers while Taran Kozun recorded 26 saves.
 
Saskatchewan came out firing, jumping out to a 2-0 lead under three minutes into the game thanks to a power play goal from Shirley and a marker from Young.
 
Mount Royal refused to be swayed by the early Huskie pressure however, with Rankin scoring his first of the season halfway through the period and Lees adding another five minutes later to send the teams into the second period with the score all even.
 
The team's traded goals in the second before Mount Royal jumped out to the lead for good in the third.
 
Much like how the Huskies started the game, the Cougars tallied twice in the opening three minutes of the frame and while Bauml pulled one back late, the Huskies couldn't get past Morris again to even the game.
 
Mount Royal outshot Saskatchewan 31-23 on the night and scored once on their eight power play opportunities.
 
The win was Mount Royal's first in their last six tries against the Huskies, while the loss for Saskatchewan was their first in a season-opening game since the 2009-10 season.
 
These two teams are back in action tomorrow night inside Merlis Belsher Place, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. That can be watched live on Canada West TV presented by Co-op.