Antigonish, NS - The StFX X-Women dropped a 4-2 game to their rival Saint Mary's Huskies Friday evening at the StFX Keating Centre.
With the win the Huskies improve to 16-5-2 and remain two points back of the first place X-Women (17-4-2) as both teams have one game remaining on the AUS regular season schedule.
A StFX loss to Dalhousie on Sunday, combined with a SMU win over Moncton on Saturday would give the Huskies first place as they own the tiebreaker over the X-Women with a 3-1 head-to-head record this season.
The Huskies host the third place Aigles Bleues (13-9-1) Saturday at 2:00 pm, while the X-Women host the seventh place Tigers (5-15-3) Sunday at 2:00 pm. A StFX win or overtime loss, regardless of the outcome of the SMU-Moncton game will clinch first place for the X-Women.
Friday evening the Huskies opened up a 1-0 first period lead with a Caitlyn Manning goal at 14:25, assisted by Chelsea Osbaldeston and Rebecca Mosher. Shots were even in the opening period at 11 apiece.
The second period was the difference in the game as the Huskies outscored the blue and white 10-3, scoring three goals.
Subway player of the game Mosher notched the Huskies second goal of the game (unassisted) 3:32 into the second period. Breanne Lanceleve then followed up just over a meinute later to extend the Huskies lead to 3-1. Osbaldeston and Nicole Blanche had the helpers.
X-Women goalie Sojung Shin was replaced by Pascale Daigle after the Huskies third goal. She registered 11 saves.
Shelby Jessiman gave Saint Mary's a 4-0 lead as she tallied their fourth goal on the power play at 15:56 from Caitlyn Schell and Laura Polak.
The X-Women finally got on the board with 1:28 remaining in the second frame as CIS leading scorer Alex Normore netted a backhand shot past Huskies goalie Rebecca Weagle. Kara Power and Erin Brophy assisted on the play.
The X-Women came alive in the third period and outshot the visitors 15-8, holding them scoreless for the final period, though only managing to score one goal themselves. Normore potted her second of the game at 14:33, unassisted.
StFX was 0 for 4 on the power play.
Weagle turned aside 27 pucks for the win in the Huskies net as the teams finished even at 29-29 in shots.
Daigle had 14 saves for the X-Women in the latter part of the game.
Sunday's game against the Tigers will mark the final home game for several X-Women who will be honored pre-game.