Martlets beat X-Women, move on to gold medal

GAME 6: 2009 CIS women’s hockey championship
No. 1 Martlets to defend title vs. Hawks

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (CIS) – The No. 1-seeded McGill Martlets will get a chance to defend their CIS women’s hockey national title on Sunday following a convincing 5-1 win over the tournament host St. Francis Xavier X-Women, Saturday night, in front of a full house of 1,740 at StFX’s Keating Millennium Centre.

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

The Martlets, who edged No. 3 Manitoba 2-1 in overtime in their first outing on Thursday, end round-robin play atop the Pool A standings with a 2-0 record and will face the No. 2 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (2-0) Sunday at 8 p.m. Atlantic in a rematch of the 2008 gold-medal match, won 2-0 by McGill.

The Martlets, whose triumph a year ago was the first in team history, advance to the national final for the third straight season and the fourth time since the inaugural CIS championship in 1997-98. The Hawks, who claimed their lone title in 2005 with a 4-1 win over Alberta, will play for CIS gold for the fourth time in five years.

“We wanted to come out strong and stick to our game plan using our speed and getting everyone on the ice involved,” said sophomore rearguard Cathy Chartand of Lac Nominingue, Que., who was named McGill’s player of the game. “We always want to play the best team so we are excited to meet Laurier.”

“Our expectations are the same as they are for every game,” McGill head coach Peter Smith said looking ahead at Sunday’s final. “We want to play solid hockey, stick with our same game plan and continue doing the things we do well.”

Fifth-seeded StFX, third in Pool A with an 0-2 mark, will battle No. 6 Ottawa (0-2) for fifth place Sunday at 10 a.m. Atlantic, while Manitoba (1-1) and No. 4 Moncton (1-1) will play for bronze at 2 p.m.

“We didn’t come out as hard as we wanted to in the first period,” commented StFX captain Brayden Ferguson of Toronto. “We fought back in the second and third periods but I give them credit, they are a good team and hard to play against.”

McGill controlled the Pool A finale from start to finish, dominating in shots on net by 16-4 in the opening period, 9-4 in the middle stanza and 11-7 in the third frame for a final count of 36-15.

Forwards Ann-Sophie Bettez (Sept-Îles, Que.) and Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger (Sherbrooke, Que.), the CIS rookies of the year the past two seasons, led the charge for the winners with a goal and two assists apiece.

Chartrand, last year’s CIS championship MVP, added a goal and one helper, while Vanessa Davidson (Kirkland, Que.) and Jordanna Peroff (Keswick, Ont.) rounded out the McGill scoring.

Davidson, who got the overtime winner on Thursday, opened the scoring during a power play only 2:09 into the contest, and Peroff netted the game-winner at 12:19 of the first frame, beating veteran netminder Katie Harvieux (Digby, N.S.) between the legs.

Chartrand made it 3-0 at 9:27 of the second when she one-timed a perfect pass from sophomore Alessandra Lind-Kenny (Calgary).

Freshman Erin Brophy (Antigonish, N.S.), the X-Women player of the game, was the only player who was able to put one past Olympic gold medalist Charline Labonté (Boisbriand, Que.). The five-foot-two forward deflected a Marilynn Hay (Sombra, Ont.) point shot while StFX was playing five-on-three to pull the locals to within two at 12:58.

Bettez restored McGill’s three-goal advantage 5:22 into the third frame during a power play, and Leclerc-Auger closed things out tapping in a rebound with only two seconds left in the game.

Labonté made 14 saves for her seventh win in eight career starts at the CIS tournament. Harvieux stopped 31 pucks at the other end of the ice.

McGill went 2-for-7 on the power play, while StFX was 1-of-6.

GAME NOTES: In three previous appearances in the national final, McGill beat Laurier 2-0 in 2008, lost 4-0 to Alberta in 2007 and lost 2-0 to Alberta in 2000… In addition to the 2008 gold-medal loss to the Martlets, Laurier lost 2-1 to Alberta in the 2006 title match and beat Alberta 4-1 in the 2005 final…

SCORING SUMMARY

McGill 5, StFX 1

FIRST PERIOD

SCORING:
1. McG Vanessa Davidson (2) (Ann-Sophie Bettez, Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger), 2:09 PP
2. McG Jordanna Peroff (1) (Rebecca Martinedale, Chantal Gauvin), 12:19

PENALTIES:
Laura Grant (StFX) hooking; 1:10; Laura Grant (StFX) tripping, 4:26; Rebecca Martindale (McG) hooking, 10:04; Carolyn Campbell (StFX) slashing, 15:25; Jordanna Peroff (McG) interference, 19:53.

SECOND PERIOD

SCORING:
2. McG Cathy Chartrand (1) (Alessandra Lind-Kenny, Amy Soberano), 9:27
3. StFX Erin Brophy (1) (Suzanne Fenerty, Marilynn Hay), 12:58 

PENALTIES:
Christina Davis (StFX) body checking, 3:54; Lindsay Brown (StFX) hooking, 5:53; Ann-Sophie Bettez (McG) interference, 6:38; Vanessa Davidson (McG) tripping, 11:43; Chantal Gauvin (McG) holding, 12:46; Alyssa Cecere (McG) slashing, 19:26. 

THIRD PERIOD

SCORING:
5. McG Ann-Sophie Bettez (1) (Cathy Chartrand, Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger), 5:22 (PP)
6. McG Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger (1) (Ann-Sophie Bettez, Jasmine Sheehan), 19:58

PENALTIES:
Brayden Fergsuon (StFX) slashing, 3:54; Laura Grant (StFX) holding, 11:21; Cathy Chartrand (McG) holding, 17:48; Christina Davis (StFX) roughing, 17:48

GOALS (by period)
StFX: 0-1-0:1
McG: 2-1-2:5

SHOTS ON GOAL (by period)
StFX: 4-4-7:15
McG: 16-9-11:36

POWER PLAY:
StFX: 1-6
McG: 2-7

GOALTENDERS
StFX:  Katie Harvieux (L, 0-2, 36 shots, 31 saves, 60:00)
McG:  Charline Labonté (W, 2-0, 15 shots, 14 saves, 60:00)

PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
StFX:  Erin Brophy
McG:  Cathy Chartrand

REFEREE:  Mary-Anne Gage

LINESMEN:  Megan Mallette, Brittany O’Neill

ATTENDANCE:  1,740