Antigonish, N.S. - The CIS #9 ranked StFX X-Women (8-5-1) returned to Atlantic University Sport (AUS) regular season action with a 2-1 overtime win over the visiting UPEI Panthers (2-9-2-1) Friday night at the Keating Centre.
At the 1:36 mark of the three-on-three extra session, StFX captain Taylor Dale (Oromocto, NB) batted in a rebound from the lip of the crease to provide the margin of victory.
Emma Winters (Lower Sackville, NS), who took the initial shot from the Panther goal line, and Kara Power (New Glasgow, NS) garnered the assists.
The X-Women forced overtime when Schyler Campbell (Galloway, NB) scored on a great individual effort with 4:33 remaining in regulation time.
The senior forward gathered the puck and circled the UPEI net before coming out front and scoring with a low wrist shot from the top of the slot. Her effort was an unassisted one.
Less than two minutes later, the Panthers almost had the game-winner before the end of the third period, but Maggie Grimmer (Charlottetown, PEI) rang a hard back hand shot off the goal post behind X-Women goaltender Sojung Shin (Seoul, Korea).
Before the Dale heroics, the teams were scoreless in the first five-minute overtime period, where the teams play with four skaters apiece.
In the first period - one where the visitors held the territorial advantage - the Panthers notched the lone goal, with Cassidy McCabe (Charlottetown, PEI) tallying at the 10:14 mark. She beat Shin with a sharp-angle shot from along the goal line, after the X-Women coughed up the puck in their own zone. Teagan Pringle (Glenboro, MB) collected the only assist.
The best chance in the opening 10 minutes for the X-Women came when Connor Garagan (Fredericton, NB) got in tight in the Panther zone, but Marie-Soleil Deschenes (Ile-Perot, QC) made a right pad save on her backhand shot along the ice.
Looking for the equalizer, Dale got in behind the UPEI defenders, after taking a pass from Garagan, but her wrist shot sailed high over the net.
In the final minute of the frame, Emma Weatherbie (Charlottetown, PEI) tried to double the Panther advantage, but Shin made a pair of saves - one on a hard wrist shot and the other on a backhander from in tight off the rebound.
UPEI outshot StFX 11-6 in the first period.
In the second period, the X-Women carried much of the play, but they could not score the tying goal.
On the powerplay, a Dale point shot hit Daley Oddy (Cranbrook, BC) in front. Off the goal mouth scramble, Oddy and Kara Power whacked at the rebound, but they were only able to hit the outside of the Panther net.
After the X-Women killed off back-to-back Panther power play opportunities, which included a couple key saves by Shin, the home team re-established their pressure in the final five minutes of the second period.
With less than 90 seconds remaining, Lisa Downey (Stratford, ON) took a centering pass from Sarah Bujold (Riverview, NB), but Deschenes made a nifty glove save off the quick snap shot.
Shin kept the Panther lead at one goal with a great save with less than seven seconds remaining before intermission, smothering a Lindsay Johnston (Bowmanville, ON) backhander from close quarters.
The Subway player of the game and first star was Dale, with Johnston and Campbell the second and third stars, respectively.
Shin made 37 saves for the win, while Deschenes turned aside 30 shots in the loss.
The Panthers will be back in action Saturday, Jan. 9, when they host the Mount Allison Mounties in Charlottetown, beginning at 4 p.m.
The X-Women will hit the road Sunday, Jan. 10, when they visit the Mounties in Sackville, NB. Puck drop is set for 2:15 p.m.
-30-