Ferguson scores OT winner, X finishes 5th

5th PLACE GAME: 2009 CIS women’s hockey championship 

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (CIS) – Fifth-year senior Brayden Ferguson of Toronto scored 27 seconds into the sudden-death overtime period to lift the tournament host St. Francis Xavier X-Women to a 5-4 victory over the No. 6 Ottawa Gee-Gees in the fifth-place game of the 2009 CIS women’s hockey championship, Sunday morning, at the Keating Centre on the campus of StFX University.

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

Ferguson tipped a point shot from defender Marilynn Hay (Sombra, Ont.) past fifth-year goaltender Jessika Audet (Chatham, Ont.), to the delight of the home crowd.

“I saw the red light go on and that was it,” said Ferguson, who also collected assists on a pair of third-period markers as the X-Women overcame two one-goal deficits for the win. “Arms up after that.”

“This is a great way to end my career,” added the 22-year-old left-winger, who helped Canada capture gold at the inaugural Winter Universiade hockey tournament last month in China, and who was the CIS player of the year in 2007-08.

The result of Sunday morning’s duel was the opposite of last year’s fifth-place match when the Gee-Gees edged the X-Women 7-6 in a shootout, in Ottawa.

StFX came into the game following a 2-1 overtime loss to No. 3 Manitoba and a 5-1 setback against No. 1 McGill in Pool A action, while Ottawa dropped Pool B duels to No. 2 Laurier, 6-1, and No. 4 Moncton, 2-1 in overtime.

The contest got off to a wild start, with Ottawa opening the scoring 52 seconds in and the two teams combining for four goals in the first 7:57.

Rookie centre Samantha DeLenardo (Keswick, Ont.) struck first for the Gee-Gees with her second of the tournament and her first of two on the day. Third-year forward Kayla Hottot (Sombra, Ont.) picked up her first of three assists on the play.

StFX came back less than five minutes later with two goals in 1:28, the first one by centre Jessica Shanahan (Calgary) at 5:14, and the second a Kelly Boudreau (New Glasgow, N.S.) short-handed marker at 6:42.

The X-Women lead was short-lived as Ottawa rearguard Christine Allen (Gatineau, Que.) brought the rivals back to square one just before the eight-minute mark.

DeLenardo scored the only goal of the second period, her third of the tourney, during a power play at 9:00 to give the Gee-Gees their second lead of the game.

StFX coach David Synishin made a goaltending change at that point, bringing in number one netminder Katie Harvieux (Digby, N.S.) in replacement of freshman Melissa Murphy (Pigeon Hill, N.B.), who made 18 saves on 21 shots.

Shanahan tied the affair once again 4:05 into the third stanza with her second of the morning, and fifth-year senior Christina Davis (Stouffville, Ont.) restored a one-goal advantage for StFX at 10:57.

Joelle Charlebois (Kenora, Ont.), who assisted on the Gee-Gees’ third marker, forced overtime when she beat Harvieux with 3:35 remaining in regulation.

Harvieux stopped 18 of 19 pucks fired her way in the second half of the game as Ottawa outshot StFX 40-30. At the other end of the ice, Audet made 25 saves.

Ottawa was 1-of-7 on the power play, while StFX was 0-of-6.

SCORING SUMMARY

StFX 5, Ottawa 4 (OT)

FIRST PERIOD

SCORING:
1. OTT Samantha DeLenardo (2) (Kayla Hottot), 0:52
2. StFX Jessica Shanahan (1) (Marilynn Hay), 5:14
3. StFX Kelly Boudreau (1) (unassisted), 6:42 SH
4. OTT Christine Allen (1) (Jodi Reinholcz, Cass Breukelman), 7:57

PENALTIES:
Joyce Spruyt (OTT) body contact; 1:33; Catie Gavin (StFX) tripping, 2:46; Jodie Reinholcz (OTT) slashing, 10:26; Brayden Ferguson (StFX) holding, 18:29.

SECOND PERIOD

SCORING:
5. OTT Samantha DeLenardo (3) (Joelle Charlebois, Kayla Hottot), 9:00 PP

PENALTIES:
Alicia Blomberg (OTT) holding, 1:52; Jessica Shanahan (StFX) tripping, 5:31; Carolyn Campbell (StFX) tripping, 7:44; Joelle Levac (OTT) tripping, 10:00; Fannie Desforges (OTT) body contact, 17:02.

THIRD PERIOD

SCORING:
6. StFX Jessica Shanahan (2) (Brayden Ferguson, Suzanne Fenerty), 4:05
7. StFX Christina Davis (2) (Brayden Ferguson), 10:57
8. OTT Joelle Charlebois (1) (Kayla Hottot, Alicia Blomberg), 16:25

PENALTIES:
Kelsey Dewit (OTT) interference, 4:49; Brayden Ferguson (StFX) slashing, 12:43; Fannie Desforges (OTT) body contact, 13:23; Laura Grant (StFX) high-sticking, 14:21; Kristen Ezard (StFX) unsportsmanlike conduct, 18:00.

OVERTIME

SCORING:
9. StFX Brayden Ferguson (1) (Marilynn Hay), 0:27

PENALTIES:
No penalties.

GOALS (by period):
StFX: 2-0-2-1:5
OTT: 2-1-1-0:4

SHOTS ON GOAL (by period):
StFX: 8-9-12-1:30
OTT: 12-15-13-0:40

POWER PLAY:
StFX: 0-6
OTT: 1-7

GOALTENDERS
StFX: Melissa Murphy (21 shots, 18 saves, 29:00)
StFX:  Katie Harvieux (W, 1-2, 19 shots, 18 saves, 31:27)
OTT:  Jessika Audet (L, 0-3, 30 shots, 25 saves, 61:27)

PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
StFX:  Brayden Ferguson
OTT:  Samantha DeLenardo

REFEREE:  Katie Gullett

LINESMEN: Amy Facey, Valerie Vuillemot

ATTENDANCE:  500