Dinos women win Crowchild Classic and sweep the weekend

By Leigh Patrick, February 4 2026—

For the third year in a row, the University of Calgary Dinos women’s hockey team claimed bragging rights at the Scotiabank Saddledome, edging out the Mount Royal University Cougars 2-1.

“We like to play in the mud, and I think we’ve learned really how to,” said head coach Josh Gosling, reflecting on playing a high-stakes rivalry game. After a scoreless first period, Dinos goaltender Amelia Awad had a chance to warm up with two shots on goal. At the same time, the rest of the team took the game into the Mount Royal Cougars’ zone over and over, putting their goaltender, Scout Anderson, to work.

The second period began with a historic breakthrough. Dinos defenseman Caitlyn Perlinger opened the scoring just minutes into the frame, firing a shot that found its way through heavy traffic. The landmark goal was Perlinger’s first of the season and earned her the honour of becoming the first Dinos defenseman to score the opening goal of the game in the history of the Crowchild Classic. She is also the first Dinos defender to score in the event since Stephanie Zvonkovic in 2014.

“That’s pretty awesome,” said Perlinger when told after the game, “We’ve been talking that we want to get more pucks in the net, so I got the puck and put it in the net.” 

The goal was the culmination of a momentum shift that began late in the first period when Calgary successfully killed off two penalties. Perlinger noted that those defensive stops were the “why” behind the team’s second-period surge.

“Obviously, when you’re on the power play and the penalty kill works, and you don’t get many shots… it kind of deflates your team. For us, being able to kill those two penalties off gave us momentum going into the next period,” said Perlinger.

The evening began to pick up the pace as more fans poured into the stadium. Momentum from the goal sent chants echoing through the stands. With the Dinos getting on the board first, the Cougars began to play harder, getting more aggressive and putting Awad to work, evening the shots on goal at 9 each. Dinos remained intense in their play, holding possession near the end of the period for two minutes as they wove in and out, and though the Cougars took the last shot of the period, Awad proved her stardom with a spectacular save.

Blood-pumping adrenaline filled the arena, and within two minutes of the third period beginning, Dinos forward Josie McLeod found the net and gave the Dinos the insurance goal they needed to breathe.

“I think our desperation put us in a good spot, I give them a ton of credit,” said Gosling.

It took some hope and a show of skill, but the Dinos showed it, holding off the Cougars for most of the third period. Awad made a total of 28 saves throughout the game, 17 of those coming in the final third.

“I got to stop this puck… get out of this game and get that win!” Awad reflected on her thoughts during the game’s intense final minutes as the Cougars kept the pressure on in hopes of finding the game-tying goals.

Despite her strong goaltending, the Cougars slid the puck past Awad with five minutes to spare. Seemingly more determined, Awad refused to let another puck past. Even with this goal, the Cougars’ desperation was no match for the Dinos’ defence.

This was a showing of Awad’s growth compared to last year’s event. At the beginning of last season, Awad stepped in as the starting goalie after veteran Gabriella Durante left after jsut one game to pursue her dream of going to the Olympics. Earlier this month, Durante was named to the Italian women’s hockey team at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Awad expressed deep respect for her former teammate, describing her as a “hard worker” and noting that it was “amazing that she had the confidence to step away from the team and chase that goal.” 

“I definitely came into the game today, feeling less nervous than I was last year,” Awad admitted, reflecting on her experience. She recalled that during last year’s game, particularly in the overtime in the shootout, it was hard not to get riled up. Awad attributed her improved performance to a significant increase in confidence, noting she felt more prepared “knowing that I’d done it once before.” She also mentioned that having seen the opponent frequently throughout the regular and preseason helped her stay calm.

As the season nears its end, the Dinos have risen to 15-5-4 on the season following another win over the Cougars on Saturday at Father David Bauer Arena. 

“At the end of the day, we focus on us. We focus on what we need to do, and hopefully that’ll put us in a great spot,” said Gosling as the team looks ahead to the rest of the season.

“Obviously winning here took a big energy boost, so hopefully just bringing that same energy into the next game on Saturday and hopefully within the rest of the season,” added Perlinger.

If the Dinos have proved anything, it’s that hope, energy and their skill are all they need to bring down the house.