It was a busy weekend for the Cougars, with the opening of regular season league for volleyball in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Association. The men’s and women's volleyball teams travelled to Winnipeg Friday to take on the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers. Meanwhile, in Brandon it was a busy weekend for the women's hockey team as they hosted both North Dakota State University Bisons and the Lakehead University Thunderwolves.

Friday November 10, the women's volleyball played the Blazers at 6 p.m. and the men played at 7:30 p.m. The women fell to the Blazers in three sets (13-25, 15-25, and 20-25). Erica Scott had 10 kills and 7 digs. Kalin Winter also had 7 digs. It was a similar story for the men’s match as the Cougars lost in three sets (12-25, 14-25, and 10-25). Braden Campbell had 5 kills.

Saturday afternoon the Cougars squared off again against the Blazers, with the women's match at 2 p.m. and the men at 3:30 p.m. The Blazers beat the women's team in four sets (10-25, 25-20, 13-25, 21-25). Jessi Coulter served 4 aces, while Blaire Delamare and Brittany Krahn each had 2 aces apiece. Erica Scott had 9 kills, Skyla Vanmackelbergh had 7 kills, and Morgan Donald had 5 kills. The men fell in 3 sets Saturday as well (15-25, 20-25, and 18-25). Leo MacArthur had 10 kills, while Braden Campbell had 5 kills again.

Friday night saw the Cougars Women's hockey team host the North Dakota State Bisons at the Sportsplex at 8 p.m. Rachel Charles opened the scoring with 4 minutes left in the first period, Kenzie Heide with the assist. The Cougars held the 1-0 lead through the second period. Alyssa Neufeld scored at 16:41 in the third period to make it 2-0, and Blair Bodie and Karli Frederick had the assists. With 4:24 left in the third period, Blair Bodie scored with a pass from Kenzie Heide for a 3-0 lead and the win.

The Cougars played Lakehead University Thunderwolves Saturday night at the Sportsplex, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. The score remained 0-0 after the first period. Lakehead opened the scoring early in the second, on a power-play for a 1-0 lead. With 7:55 left in the third period, Lakehead scored again for a 2-0 lead and the win.

Sunday morning saw the Lakehead University Thunderwolves and the Cougars go at it again. Blair Bodie scored with 7:05 left in the first period, and Mariah McCue had the assist. The Cougars held the 1-0 lead through the first, and then went up 2-0 midway through the second with a power-play goal from Sierra Parenteau with the assists from Brooke Mead and Rachel Charles. It wasn’t until 12:22 of the third period when Lakehead found the back of the net to make it a 2-1 game. The Cougars held on and came out with a big 2-1 win over the Lakehead University Thunderwolves, who are ranked second in the West Region in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, while the Cougars are currently ranked fifth.

Next weekend the Cougars volleyball teams will host the Red River Rebels in the Assiniboine Community College gymnasium. Friday, November 17 The women will play at 6 p.m. and the men at 7:30 p.m. They will play Red River again Saturday, November 18, the women at 12 noon and the men at 1:30 p.m. Meanwhile the women's hockey team will be back on the road, heading to take on Rainy River Community College in International Falls, Minnesota. They will play Saturday, November 18 at 7 p.m. and again Sunday, November 18 at 12 noon.


photo courtesy Assiniboine Community College Athletics