CALGARY – UBC Thunderbirds netminder Elise Hugens recorded her fourth shutout of the season in leading the visitors to a 2-0 victory over the Mount Royal University Cougars.
 
Hugens continued her dream season stopping all 13 shots she faced to help the T-Birds earn a fifth-consecutive win in the first of a weekend series Friday night.
 
Heading into the anticipated matchup, both UBC and MRU sat atop their respective divisions. UBC is also the current no. 1 team in the country, with MRU ranking sixth.
 
The first game back following the extended holiday break turned out to be a low-event contest, with a combined 29 shots on goal between the two juggernaut clubs.
 
The Thunderbirds displayed impeccable defence all game, holding the Cougars to the outside and allow Hugens to make routine saves.


 
The nation's leading scorer and MVP frontrunner Grace Elliott opened the scoring for the T-Birds midway through the first. Elliott's hard wrist shot rang off the post before trickling across the line. MRU goalie Scout Anderson did all she could to keep the puck out but the sprawling effort was not enough to deny Elliott.
 
Anderson was steady between the pipes for MRU, making 15 saves in the loss.
 
Mount Royal bounced back with a much better second period, beginning to pressure the T-Birds in their own zone. Despite the added chances, the Cougars could not find twine.
 
Gabby Lindsay had Mount Royal's best chance to beat Hugens on a two-on-one opportunity but was denied.
 
The added pressure continued into the third but the T-Birds could not be beaten. Fourth-year forward Jacquelyn Fleming added an empty net late to wrap it up for UBC.


 
MRU veteran blueliner Jori Hansen-Young was tasked with a big assignment of containing the high-powered Thunderbird offence but knew they team had to stay level headed on their play.