Halifax, NS - The StFX-Women topped the U SPORTS no. 3 ranked Saint Mary's Huskies 5-4 Saturday afternoon at Alumni Arena. The game featured the top five scorers in the AUS, and they did not disappoint as each posted multi-point games.
StFX's Daley Oddy (Cranbrook, BC), fresh home from a trip to the Winter Universiade with Team Canada, and Kara Power (New Glasgow, NS), each had three-point games for the X-Women.
The X-Women improved their record to 15-8 with one regular season game left to play. They have won 12 of 15 games dating back to November 12th and their 30-points on the season will send them into the playoffs as the third seed, regardless of the outcome of their final game.
The Huskies wrap up their regular season with an 18-3-3 record. Their 39-points sends them into the AUS playoffs as the number one seed. They will have a bye into the semi-finals.
Ariana Orasanin (Ancaster, ON) made 22 saves for the X-Women in the win. She improved her record to 12-2.
Oddy, Kara Power, Sarah Bujold (Riverview, NB) and Emily Power (Airdrie, AB) lit the lamp for the X-Women.
Bujold sits first in the AUS with 21 goals and second in points with 37. Oddy added two assists and is now fourth in the AUS with 30 points. With her added assist in the game, Kara Power is fifth with 29 points.
Sarah Douglas (Whitby, ON), Nicole Blanche (Dunville, NF) and Breanna Lanceleve (Middle Sackville, NS) responded with goals for the Huskies.
Lanceleve added two assists to finish the regular season with 40 points, she is currently first in AUS scoring. Caitlin Manning (Cambridge, NS) also picked up a couple of helpers to finish the regular season with 34 points and sits third in AUS scoring.
Rebecca Weagle (Lunenburg, NS) made 16 saves for the Huskies as her record fell to 4-1.
Oddy opened the scoring 10:44 into the game. At the end of a penalty kill, Heather Tillsley (Aurora ON) sent the puck up the right wall to Lisa Downey (Stratford ON) just outside the X-Women blue line. Downey took a step and spotted Oddy out of the box. Oddy worked in on a blue line breakaway and made a backhand – forehand move before sniping high glove.
Kara Power's first goal came on the power play at the 13:10 mark of the first period. Tillsley got the puck on the left point and sent it to Oddy in the corner. Oddy worked her way up the wall with her head up and sent a cross-ice pass to Kara Power on the back post and Power sent it over the outstretched pad of Weagle.
Bujold made it 3-0 for the X-Women with a shorthanded marker 6:02 into the second period. Kara Power found her in the slot and she ripped her shot home for her league leading 21st goal.
Douglas answered right back for the Huskies just 17 seconds later on the power play. Manning and Lanceleve picked up assists on the play.
Kara Power picked up her second goal of the game 6:29 into the third period. Bujold carried through the neutral zone and fed Oddy just inside the Huskies line. Oddy fired and Kara Power was able to knock home the rebound.
Blanche's first goal came just 1:19 later. Manning sent the puck to Lanceleve behind the X-Women net, Lanceleve worked out front and took a shot. She battled to get the rebound and slid it to Blanche to the left of the net and Blanche tapped it in to make it 4-2.
Blanche made it 4-3 with 3:30 left to go in the third. Lanceleve got the puck to Kiana Wilkinson (Prince George BC) on the right point . Wilkinson walked in to the top of the circle and fired a low shot that Blanche tipped in front.
Emily Power regained the X-Women's two-goal lead with a power play goal with just 1:52 left in the game.
Lanceleve scored to close the gap to 5-4 with just 11 seconds left as she banged home a rebound on the doorstep.
The X-Women were 2-2 on the power play, while the Huskies went 2-4.
Shots were 26-21 for the Huskies.
The X-Women will wrap up their regular season at home against the Mount Allison Mounties in Antigonish, NS on Sunday with a 2:00 pm game.
They will play the Dalhousie Tigers in the best-of-three quarter-final round of the AUS playoffs which opens Thursday, February 16th in Antigonish at 7:00 pm.
The Huskies have a bye through to the semifinals of the AUS playoffs and will face the lowest remaining seed to make it through the quarterfinals.
Courtesy Cam Honey-Webb, SMU Communications