Box Score Box Score

Kendra Finch (pictured) scored as the University of Regina's women's hockey team took a 5-3 win over Mount Royal on Friday night in a Canada West game at The Co-operators Centre.

Rianne Wight, Stephanie Sawchuk, and Paige Wheeler also scored for the U of R, while Jennifer Schmidt made 26 saves between the pipes for the Cougars in the victory. Mount Royal replied with goals from Sarah Weninger, Shyla Stadnicki, and Tanika Dawson.

The victory improves Regina's record to 14-7-0 as the Cougars put a stop to a three-game losing skid. The U of R also keeps pace with second-place Alberta as the Pandas collected a 5-2 road win over Lethbridge on Friday.

Finch opened the scoring midway through the first period and Wight responded almost immediately with a power play goal to give the U of R a 2-0 lead. Scored in a span of 42 seconds, the two goals chased Mount Royal starting goalie Kendall Kilgour in favour of backup Jess Ross.

Mount Royal responded before the first intermission, as Weninger notched her second of the season on the power play with just under two minutes left in the opening frame. The visitors went back on the man advantage after Gina Campbell was whistled for her second consecutive two-minute minor and Stadnicki tied up the game with another power play goal with just three seconds left in the period.

Finch put the U of R back into the lead for good with a goal early in the second, with Sawchuk and Brooklyn Moskowy drawing the assists on the play. That line struck again late in the middle stanza, as Sawchuk notched her sixth of the season with Moskowy being credited with another helper. The teams combined for 29 total shots in the second period alone, with the U of R accounting for 18 of them.

After Wheeler's ninth of the season gave the U of R a three-goal cushion just a minute into the third period, Dawson scored for Mount Royal to get back to within two but that was as close as the visiting Cougars would come. Schmidt made five saves in the final period to help seal the victory.

Mount Royal ended up 2-for-6 on the power play, while Wight's goal came on the U of R's lone opportunity with the man advantage. The U of R outshot Mount Royal by a 35-29 margin in the win.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday night beginning at 7 p.m. at The Co-operators Centre. A win for the U of R will clinch a Canada West postseason berth for the Cougars.

NOTES: Wight is now tied with Erin Tady for third on the U of R's all-time career goals list (48) ... Wight assisted on Wheeler's goal in the third period and is also tied with current assistant coach Julie Foster for fourth on the school's all-time career points list (91) ... Friday's game marked the third multi-goal performance for Finch in her four-season career at the U of R.