Antigonish, NS – The StFX X-Women skated to a convincing 7-0 shutout victory over the Mount Allison Mounties Sunday afternoon in AUS hockey action at the Charles V. Keating Centre.
Freshman forward Tyra Meropoulis (Edson, AB) had a five-point game for the X-Women with two goals and three assists. Kristen McKinley (Rothesay, NB) also netted a pair of gaols and had two helpers in the game as she took home Subway player of the game honours.
The opening stages of the first period was a back and forth encounter with neither team establishing dominance. Both defences did a good job at holding up the opposing forwards at the red line, with the Mounties Abbie Wisener (Cole Harbour, NS) particularly effective. However, the timely passing of the StFX defence led to the X-Women earning more time in the Mounties zone and they would make the pressure count with the first goal of the game.
The X-Women opened the scoring late in the first period on a goal by Meropoulis with the assists going to her linemates Emerson Elliott (Aurora, ON) and McKinley. The line held the puck in the zone and used the points of Lindsay Donovan (Miramichi, NB) and Josie Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) to exert pressure on the Mounties. Elliott made a great heads-up pass down low to Meropoulis, who was parked at the side of the net and coolly tipped the puck into the open cage.
The X-Women scored two second period goals to establish a three-goal lead after 40 minutes of play.
The Mounties played well in spells but were unable to gain a prolonged period of time in the StFX zone. Jessica Desautels (Oakville, ON) was dangerous throughout the game and used her speed and skill to create the best Mounties chances of the afternoon.
The X-Women doubled their lead at the 9:17 mark of the second period on a sharp snap shot by captain Sarah Bujold (Moncton, NB). The play began with Donovan controlling the puck in the Mounties zone and finding Bujold in the high slot. Bujold took two quick steps, wound up, and uncoiled a low hard shot into the corner of the net. Lea MacLeod (Dartmouth, NS) drew the second assist.
The third StFX goal also came courtesy of a great Donovan pass. Beginning in their own end, Chisholm gained control of the puck and made a good pass to Donovan. She then hit Kristen McKinley in full stride at the top of the circle and fired a wrist shot past Wray.
The third period was all X-Women as they found the back of the Mountie net four times. McKinley scored her second goal of the game four minutes in as she followed the stray puck in the slot before she stabbed it into the net.
StFX's fifth goal, a power-play marker, came at the 6:15 mark as once again Meropoulis connected with McKinley, who then unselfishly elected to pass to Elliott. She had an open net on which to shoot, and straightforwardly put it past Wray who had no chance at the save.
Meropoulis netted the sixth X-Women goal and her second of the day as she was parked on the side of the Mounties net and tipped in a rifled Elliott pass. Hannah MacDonald (Wetaskiwin, AB) drew the second assist.
The final goal of the game came late in the period and was Julia Schmitt's first as an X-Woman. The Truro, NS native fired a low hard shot that made it through a sea of players and past Wray.
Final shots in the game favoured the home team X-Women at a lopsided 43-8 as Carly Molnar (London, ON) wasn't tested much in the X net.
The X-Women will be back in action on Wednesday night when they host Saint Mary's in a 7:00 pm game at the Keating Centre. The Mounties will host Moncton, also on Wednesday.
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Courtesy Bart Sears, StFX Sports Information