Sackville, NB – The U SPORTS No. 8 ranked STFX X-Women defeated the Mount Allison Mounties 3-2 on Thursday night as both teams returned to AUS action for the first time in 2024.
Landyn Pitts redirected a shot from Maggy Burbidge with only 1:33 left in the game to give the visiting X-Women the win.
The teams exchanged goals late in the first period as the score was 1-1 after 20 minutes.
Freshman STFX defense Bree MacPherson scored her first career AUS goal at the 18:49 mark when she found a loose puck in the slot and fired it past Mounties goaltender Hanna Pagdato. Ashlyn Garnett and Tea Pearce had the helpers.
Mount Allison wasted no time in evening the score with 36 seconds left in the period. Oceane Asham took the puck in the X zone along the boards and in behind the net and found an open Chelsea Krahenbil in the slot who slapped the puck past Brooklyn Oakes in the STFX net.
The X-Women outshot the Mounties 16-6 in the opening period.
Ireland McCloskey gave the X-Women a 2-1 lead with a goal 13:19 into the second period. After Pagdato made a save, X-Women attackers poked for the loose puck and it found it's way onto the stick of McCloskey who made no mistake in depositing it into the mesh.
The one goal STFX lead held after two periods as the X-Women edged the Mounties 12-10 in shots in the middle period.
Mount Allison did not back down and tied up the game again 6:46 into the third period on a power play marker as Hailey Simoneau tipped in a point shot from Rory Aiken.
The back and forth play continued until Burbidge set up Pitts for the game winning goal late in the period. Burbidge - the team's leading scorer – received AUS player of the game honours as she had a pair of assists on the night.
Final shots favoured the X-Women, 41-21 as Oakes had 19 saves in the X net to earn her third win between the pipes.
The X-Women are back in action again tomorrow night as they travel to Fredericton to take on the St. Thomas Tommies in a 7:00 pm puck drop. The Mounties will host UNB on Sunday evening in a 6:45 pm game.
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Recap courtesy Krista McKenna, STFX Athletics