Soccer X-Women open regular season with 6-2 win over Aigles Bleues

Antigonish, NS - The StFX X-Women (1-0), powered by four goals in the first 26 minutes of the opening half, scored a 6-2 victory over the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues (0-1) to start the AUS regular season Saturday afternoon at Oland Stadium.

Sophomore midfielder Chloe Brennan (Brookside, NS), the Subway player of the match, put the X-Women on the scoreboard in the second minute, converting a set-up from midfielder Margaux Fraser (Mississauga, ON). Brennan took three touches before depositing a shot behind Aigles Bleues goalkeeper Catherine Poirier (Caraquet, NB) from the top of the six-yard box.

In the fifth minute, Amy Rowe (Aurora, ON) capitalized on a corner kick from fellow freshman Erica van Wyk (Kanata, ON) to give the X-Women at 2-0 advantage.

Fraser extended the blue-and-white lead to 3-0 in the 16^th minute on a helper from Chloe Brennan.

Freshman Season Brennan (Westville, NS) capped the four-goal first-half surge in the 26^th minute. She took a feed from rookie forward Kelsey Ellis (Ottawa, ON) off her chest before chipping it over a couple defenders and ripping a volley into the top corner behind Poirier.

The first quality chance of the second half came off the foot of Ellis, who booted a hard shot off the crossbar.

Chloe Brennan broke down the left side in the 50^th minute, making a pass to Ellis, but Poirier made a stellar point-blank save.

Poirier made another great stop in the 65^th minute off X-Women junior forward Logan Lee-Knight (Calgary, AB).

In the 67^th minute, Alexandra Maltais (Campbellton, NB), the Moncton player of the match, took a through ball and split a pair of X-Women defenders before lofting a high shot over goalkeeper Nicole MacDonald (Kanata, ON), who was able to get a piece of the ball with her left hand, to cut the lead to 4-1.

In the 73^rd minute, senior forward Mary MacDonald (Kingston, ON) took advantage of a Moncton turnover, depositing a shot from the 18-yard box into an open net. 

In the 78^th minute, Moncton made it 5-2 on a marker from Alexie Leblanc (Dieppe, NB), who put a corner kick behind MacDonald off the far post.

Fraser, with her second of the match, rounded out the scoring in the 85^th minute on a set-up from Lee-Knight.

Poirier made seven saves for Moncton in the loss, while MacDonald and Erin Visser (Whitby, ON), who played one half apiece, made one and two saves, respectively.

Both teams will be back in action Sunday, Sept. 13, when Moncton visits Sydney to face the Cape Breton University Capers, while the X-Women will host the UNB Varsity Reds at Oland Stadium.

Opening kick-off for both matches is 1 p.m.

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