Bergesen scores U Sport golden goal for Cinderella Cougars, tip Concordia 4-3 in OT

Mount Royal University's women's hockey team claimed the 2023 U Sports title with a 4-3 OT win over Concordia. (MRUCougars/Twitter)

MONTREAL — The Mount Royal Cougars, dubbed the Cinderella team of the U Sports 2023 women's hockey championship, are the new golden gals.

Emma Bergesen scored at 11:10 of overtime on Sunday as the Cougars defeated the Concordia Stingers 4-3 in a dramatic finish to a superb game.

The Stingers led 3-2 with 10 seconds left in the third period and appeared ready to hoist the University Cup when the Cougars got possession of the puck and Breanne Trotter scored her second goal of the game with only two seconds showing on the clock to force the sudden death overtime session.

Ava Metzger also scored for the Cougars, who were outshot 31-24.

Chloe Gendreau, Rosalie Begin-Cyr and Megan Burean-Gagnon scored for the Stingers.

In Sunday's bronze-medal final, the second-seeded UBC Thunderbirds got a late goal from Ireland Perrott and superb goaltending from Kate Stuart to edge the fifth-seeded Montreal Carabins 3-2.

Annalise Wong got the T-Birds on the board at 2:44 of the first period with a power-play marker. Mackenzie Kordic gave the Vancouver crew a 2-0 lead with a goal at 7:45 of the second period.

Third-period goals by Justine Pelletier (4:28) and Jessika Boulanger (7:23) allowed the Carabins to tie the contest 2-2, setting the stage for Perrott's heroics at 16:46 of the final frame. Kennesha MisWaggon and Rylind Mackinnon drew assists on the winning goal.

Netminder Stuart kicked stopped 20 of 22 shots in the Thunderbirds' net, while Aube Racine stopped 10 of 13 shots for the Carabins.

The Thunderbirds held period leads of 1-0 and 2-0, but were outshot 22-13.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2023.