WINNIPEG – Turnovers, zone time and special teams were the story on Friday night at The RINK Training Centre as the Mount Royal Cougars beat Manitoba 4-0 to improve to 5-2-2-0 on the year. Manitoba fell to 4-3-0-0 with the loss. 
 
Manitoba – coming into the contest with the conference's second-best power play – got an early man advantage, but were stymied by the Cougars pressure, which earned them a few short-handed opportunities. 
 
Forward Nolan Yaremko had a great chance on a two-on-one, but was stopped by a big blocker save from Manitoba netminder Ross Hawryluk, who saved 46 shots to keep his team in contention all evening. The Cougars penalty kill kept the pressure on with another good chance, but Bisons forward Brett Davis stepped in to block it.
 
The Cougars took the momentum from their early penalty kill, dictating the pace of play for the vast majority of the opening 20.  
 
Hawryluk continued to keep the Cougars out with two big saves in front of his net, while the Bison skaters, including assistant captain Dylan Thiessen and defencemen Evan Toth and Ryan Gottfried deflected and blocked shot after shot as the Cougars put on more pressure.
 
Mount Royal's momentum continued throughout the opening period. Seconds after a Bisons penalty ended, the Cougars capitalized on a back-hand pass from Connor Bouchard to Robbie Holmes to open the scoring with just under four minutes to go.
 
A frustrated Bisons team took another penalty just after the puck entered the net, sending the Cougars back to the powerplay. It didn't take long for the horn to ring out again as Cougars forward and captain Andrew Fyten tapped in a loose puck, doubling the visitor's lead going into the middle period.
 
The Cougars pushed the Bisons with speed and big hits, continuing to capitalize on turnovers from the hosts in their own end. During a Mount Royal powerplay, one of eight in the game, Thiessen dove to break up an open look to keep the Cougars at two in a relentless showing.
 
"I think we definitely took too many penalties today," said Thiessen. "We spent too much time in our zone, guys running around. We've just got to trust each other on the penalty kill. I think sometimes guys are trying to do another job, and that can't happen. We know better than that."
 
Later, on an attempt from Bisons forward Noah Basarab to clear the puck from the zone, his stick shattered. A five-on-four ensued for the Cougars and they capitalized on the lucky break with a goal from forward and fourth liner Koby Morrisseau, putting his side up three goals going into the third period.
 
Hawryluk was tremendous again in the final period, sprawling to make a big pad save on a shot from Cougars forward Blake Stevenson early on. Shortly after he made another big save on a one timer from forward Jared Power.
 
With 11:50 to go in the game, the Bisons took two penalties, resulting in a five-on-three for a minute for Mount Royal. As the second penalty expired, the Cougars rounded out the scoring with a big rebound that landed on the stick of forward Connor Bouchard.
 
The Bisons will look for a split when they host Mount Royal again tomorrow at 7 pm. 
 
"I think it's a simple fix," said Thiessen. "We weren't ready to go right from the drop. I know tomorrow we'll be ready to go. We'll be making our passes crisp. It'll be a different game tomorrow for sure."