(Wikimedia Commons)
Mount Royal University and the University of New Brunswick won the 2023 Canadian USport Hockey Championships on Sunday. The Mount Royal University Cougars won the Canadian University Women’s Hockey Championship by beating the Concordia University Stingers 4-3 in overtime in the championship final in Montreal, Quebec, while the University of New Brunswick Reds won the David Johnston University Cup by beating the University of Alberta Golden Bears 3-0 in the championship final in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. For the Cougars, it was their first national university championship title in any sport in the history of the school.
The Cougars got an overtime winner from Emma Bergesen, and two goals from Breanne Trotter of Okotoks, Alberta, who was named the game’s most valuable player. The other Cougars goal scorer in the championship game was Tori Williams of Souris, Manitoba. Williams and Courtney Kollman of Calgary, Alberta had multi-point games as Williams had one goal and one assist, and Kollman had two assists. Prior to the gold medal game, the Cougars defeated the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the national championship on Thursday, and the University of Montreal Carabins 3-1 in the semifinals on Friday.
The Reds got a shutout in the championship game from Samuel Richard of Ste-Catherine, Quebec, who made 17 saves. Cody Morgan of Maple, Ontario, who was the game’s most valuable player, and Camaryn Baber of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, each had multiple points. Morgan had one goal and one assist, while Baber had two assists. The other two Reds goal scorers were Austen Keating of Guelph, Ontario, and Cole Mackay of Sault Ste. Marie. In the quarterfinals of the national championship, the Reds defeated the Concordia University Stingers 2-1, and then in the semifinals, the Reds defeated the University of Quebec Trois-Rivieres Patriotes 6-3.
The Reds previously won their ninth David Johnston University Cup title. They previously won in 1998, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
