X-Women dominate in 7-0 win over Huskies
The hometown StFX X-Women excited fans in a 7-0 shutout win over the Saint Mary’s Huskies Wednesday evening at the Charles V. Keating Centre. The crowd of over 200 were treated to a little bit of everything from the U SPORTS No. 8 ranked team, including even-strength, power play, and shorthanded goals.
Antigonish, NS - The hometown StFX X-Women excited fans in a 7-0 shutout win over the Saint Mary's Huskies Wednesday evening at the Charles V. Keating Centre. The crowd of over 200 were treated to a little bit of everything from the U SPORTS No. 8 ranked team, including even-strength, power play, and shorthanded goals.
The X-Women domination was clear from the opening frame, with their first shot on net just twelve seconds after the opening faceoff. The first period belonged to first star and Subway Player of the Game Emerson Elliott (Aurora, ON) whose game winning goal came at 3:10, when linemate Kristen McKinley (Rothesay, NB) brought the puck to the net and passed to Tyra Meropoulis (Edson, AB) in the slot. Meropoulis set up Elliott who made no mistake beating Huskies netminder Rebecca Clark (Keswick, AB).
With four seconds left on the clock in the opening period, and the X-Women on the powerplay, Elliot found herself in the slot and fired McKinley's pass from the corner past Clark for her second goal of the evening.
Shots in the first period favoured StFX 12-4.
StFX came out aggressively in the second period as well, scoring four goals in the middle 20, including the evenings second star Kaya Broussard (North Vancouver, BC) who scored her first of the season at 7:21 off an assist from Hannah MacDonald (Wetaskiwin, AB).
Just over three minutes later, captain Sarah Bujold (Riverview, NB) added a shorthanded tally when she and Kate Gotaas (Sherwood Park, AB) entered the Huskies zone on a two on one. Along the boards, Gotaas passed to Bujold who fired a wrist shot to the top corner, beating Clark high, blocker-side.
Five minutes later Bujold added her second of the night in the same style as her first. Lindsey Donovan (Miramichi, NB) made a stretch pass through the neutral zone to Bujold, who used a defending Huskies player as a screen and fired another shot high, blocker-side.
X-Women goaltender Carley Molnar (London, ON) not only made some incredible saves in the shutout victory, she also picked up an assist on Bujold's second goal of the evening.
The fifth X-Women goal of the game, and final of the second period, came while the Huskies were on the powerplay. Lea MacLeod (Dartmouth, NS) scored on the breakaway for her third of the season on a nice unassisted shorthanded play.
Shots in the second period narrowly favoured Saint Mary's at 16-15.
The games' seventh and final goal came midway through the third period, with Brossard adding her second of the game and the season, following a skirmish in front of the net. Lydia Schurman (Summerside, PE), Julia Schmitt (Windsor, NS) and Broussard were all battling in front of Huskies back-up goaltender Ashley Forler (Kitchener, ON), before Broussard was able to net the rebound.
Shots in the game favoured StFX at 31-29. Molnar picked up second star honours for the X-Women with the shutout win.
Saint Mary's will play next at home on November 24th against the UNB Reds at 7:00 pm. The StFX X-Women will visit UPEI on November 25th with puck drop at 2:00 p.m.
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Courtesy Kiana Pace, StFX Sports Information