GAME 4: 2009 CIS women’s hockey championship 

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (CIS) – Defender Chelsea Braun scored the shootout winner as the third-seeded Manitoba Bisons kept their gold-medal hopes alive with a dramatic 2-1 win over the tournament host and No. 5-ranked St. Francis Xavier X-Women in the fourth round-robin duel of the 2009 CIS women’s hockey championship, Friday night, in front of a standing-room-only crowd of over 1,800 at the Keating Centre.

Championship website: www.universitysport.ca/e/championships/w_hockey/2009 

Canada West champion Manitoba, which lost 2-1 in overtime to the No. 1 McGill Martlets in its tournament opener on Thursday, ends Pool-A play with a 1-1 record and a goal differential of zero. McGill goes into Saturday’s Pool A finale against StFX (7:30 p.m. Atlantic) with a 1-0 mark and a goal differential of plus one, while the 0-1 X-Women going into the tilt with a differential of minus one.

A win by defending national champion McGill would send the Martlets to Sunday’s title match (8 p.m. Atlantic), while Manitoba would play for bronze and StFX for fifth place.

A StFX victory could produce a number of scenarios. A two-goal X win or a one-goal X victory by any score 3-2 or higher would send the X-Women to the final, McGill to the bronze game and Manitoba to the fifth-place match. Should StFX win 1-0, Manitoba would advance to the final, the X-Women to the bronze match and McGill would be relegated to the duel for fifth position. The most complicated scenario is a 2-1 StFX win, which would require to look at the number of periods won by each team.

Braun, a third-year rearguard from Winnipeg, was the 14th skater to go in the shootout, and the third one to find the back of the net. She beat fourth-year goaltender Katie Harvieux (Digby, N.S.) sliding the puck along the ice glove side after a nifty head fake.

After the first three shooters from each team missed, fifth-year left-winger Brayden Ferguson (Toronto), last year’s CIS MVP, gave StFX the temporary edge when she fooled second-team all-Canadian netminder Stacey Corfield (Winnipeg) with a quick shot on the blocker side.

The home team’s lead was short-lived as Manitoba’s next shooter, forward Tammy Brade (Roblin, Man.), broke the Harvieux mystery, also with a low shot on the glove side.

After the next two skaters from each squad missed, Corfield stopped an attempt from X-Women defender Suzanne Fenerty (Cole Harbour, N.S.), opening the door to Braun’s heroics.

“I was happy with the way my team responded after the loss last night,” said Manitoba head coach Jon Rempel. “We were able to put that game behind us and I’m very happy with how we played. It has been a long eight days with our triple-overtime game last weekend (against Alberta) and now the back-to-back overtime games here.”

“Tonight’s game was one of the most intense games I have been a part of and I give credit to StFX, they are one of the most aggressive teams we’ve played this year.”

The game was still scoreless deep into the third period when Addie Miles finally broke the ice for the Bisons during a power play at the 12:23 mark. The sophomore forward from Winnipeg deflected a point shot from freshman Nellie Minshull (Pierson, Man.) to send Manitoba ahead.

“I didn’t even see where the puck went,” said Miles, who was named game MVP for Manitoba. “I had my head down and just tried to put it on net and luckily it went in.” 

With 1:16 left in regulation and his team still desperately looking for the equalizer, StFX coach David Synishin pulled Harvieux for a sixth attacker and the tactic quickly paid dividends.

The X-Women pinned their rivals deep into their zone and forced a turnover, with the puck ending up on Christina Davis’ stick in the right circle. The fifth-year right-winger from Stouffville, Ont., roofed a slapshot just under the crossbar with 53 seconds remaining on the clock to force extra time.

“We are disappointed with the loss but we will regroup and be ready to face McGill tomorrow night,” Davis said.

Back in the opening rush of the game, the X-Women had a chance to open the scoring as Ferguson took the puck down ice and Corfield made a good save off her low shot. Manitoba then went on the power play early on but the X-Women were able to hold them off.

The Bisons had a 5-on-3 power play opportunity midway through the opening period for a minute and a half and were unable to convert a goal.

Both teams played even hockey throughout the first period with Manitoba having a slight 6-5 edge in shots. 

Amy Coates (Carman, Man.) had a good scoring chance for the Bisons two minutes into the second period but her hard shot was denied by Harvieux.

Davis was close to netting the first goal of the game as at the 13-minute mark but Corfield denied her backhander and subsequent rebound. The X-Women continued the pressure on the two subsequent rushes but Corfield held her ground.

After a wave of X pressure, the Bisons turned the tides and had several good scoring chances of their own against Harvieux.

In a closely contested second period, the game remained scoreless with shots on net remaining close at 13-12 for StFX.

The third period started much the same as the second ended with fast-paced action. The Bisons went on the power play and were close to breaking the goose egg with a shot from close in the slot but Harvieux was a wall between the pipes. Manitoba had another power play opportunity almost as soon as the previous StFX penalty ended but struggled to set up in the X end.

Players started to get feisty in the third frame with some pushing and shoving as the pressure mounted to pot the first goal.

Following the only two goals in regulation, Manitoba applied pressure on the X-Women throughout the overtime frame and Chantal DeSpiegelaere (Winnipeg) nearly ended the game with a hard shot off the inside post, followed up by a shot by captain Leanne Kisil (Winnipeg) that missed just high over the cross bar. Another shot dribbled just wide of the X crease as the Bisons kept up the overtime pressure on the tired legs of the X-Women. 

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Harvieux was impressed with the atmosphere in the StFX Keating Centre.

“It is the loudest it has ever been here in the four years I have been playing at X. It was difficult at times to keep in contact with my defence, but I thought they played very well in front of me.”

“It was a disappointing way to lose in the shootout but we will stick to our game plan and be ready to play tomorrow night.”

The final shot count was 18-18 after regulation time and 22-22 after the 10-minute extra period.

Manitoba went 1-for-8 on the power play, while StFX was blanked on two occasions.

Fenerty earned the player-of-the-game nod for StFX.

SCORING SUMMARY

Manitoba 2, StFX 1 (shootout)

FIRST PERIOD

SCORING:

No scoring.

PENALTIES:

Catie Gavin (StFX) body checking; 1:18; Anna Barrett (StFX) holding, 9:44; Carolyn Campbell (StFX) hooking, 10:29.

SECOND PERIOD

SCORING:

No scoring.

PENALTIES:

Kelly Boudreau (StFX) interference, 18:59; Brenna Leary (MAN) interference, 19:43.

THIRD PERIOD

SCORING:

1. MAN Addie Miles (1) (Nellie Minshull), 12:23 (PP)
2. StFX Christina Davis (1) (Brayden Ferguson, Carolyn Campbell), 19:07

PENALTIES:

Lindsay Brown (StFX) body checking, 2:59; Carolyn Campbell (StFX) tripping, 5:09; Sarah Stebeleski (MAN) body checking, 7:30; Carolyn Campbell (StFX) interference, 11:30; Laura Grant (StFX) slashing, 14:53.

OVERTIME

SCORING:

No Scoring

PENALTIES:

No penalties

SHOOTOUT

StFX (shooting first)

Catie Gavin, missed
Erin Brophy, missed
Christina Davis, missed
Brayden Ferguson, scored
Lindsay Brown, missed
Brayden Ferguson, missed
Suzanne Fenerty, missed

Manitoba

Nellie Minshull, missed
Becca King, missed
Addie Miles, missed
Tammy Brade, scored
Sarah Stebeleski, missed
Nellie Minshull, missed
Chelsea Braun, scored

GOALS (by period)

MAN: 0-0-1-0-1:2
StFX: 0-0-1-0-0:1

SHOTS ON GOAL (by period)
MAN: 6-6-6-4:22
StFX: 5-8-5-4:22

POWER PLAY:
MAN: 1-8
StFX: 0-2

GOALTENDERS
MAN – Stacey Corfield (W, 1-0-1-1, 22 shots, 21 saves, 70:00)
StFX – Katie Harvieux (L, 0-0-0-1, 22 shots, 21 saves, 68:44)

PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
MAN:  Addie Miles
StFX:  Suzanne Fenerty

REFEREE:  Melanie Bordeleau

LINESMEN:  Amy Facey, Allison Smith

ATTENDANCE:  1835

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (All times LOCAL: Atlantic Time)

Pool A
1. McGill
3. Manitoba
5. StFX

Pool B
2. Wilfrid Laurier
4. Moncton
6. Ottawa

Thursday, March 19
Pool B #1: No. 2 Wilfrid Laurier 6, No. 6 Ottawa 1
Pool A #1: No. 1 McGill 2, No. 3 Manitoba 1 (OT)

Friday, March 20
Pool B #2: No. 4 Moncton 2, No. 6 Ottawa 1 (OT)
Pool A #2: No. 3 Manitoba 2, No. 5 StFX 1 (SO)

Saturday, March 21
16:00 Pool B #3: No. 4 Moncton vs. No. 2 Wilfrid Laurier (SSN Canada webcast)  
19:30 Pool A #3: No. 5 StFX vs. No. 1 McGill (SSN Canada webcast) 

Sunday, March 22
10:00 5th Place: No. 6 Ottawa vs. TBD (SSN Canada webcast)
14:00 Bronze (SSN Canada webcast)
20:00 Final (THE SCORE * / SSN Canada webcast)

* 2-hour tape delay to 10 pm Atlantic / 9 pm Eastern