Antigonish, NS – The StFX X-Women extended their win streak to five games with a 6-2 victory over the Moncton Aigles Bleues Saturday night at the Charles V. Keating Centre.
StFX scored four unanswered third period goals for the win.
The first period saw only one goal as the X-Women took a 1-0 lead. Emma Thomas (Red Deer, AB) whistled a shot from the top of the face-off circle after an X face-off win to beat Aigles Bleues goaltender Audrey Berthiaume (St-Bruno, QC).
Shots were even in the opening period at seven apiece.
The X-Women took a 2-1 lead six minutes into the second period as Jayden Thompson (Aurora, ON) found Amy Graham (Nepean, ON) open in the slot and she roofed the puck over the shoulder of Berthiaume.
Moncton replied with consecutive goals by Samantha McLaughlin (Losier settlement, NB) to even the game at 2-2.
After a giveaway behind the StFX net, Elizabeth Tremblay (Saguenay, QC) got the puck to McLaughlin who beat Cassidy McEwan (Lloydminster, AB) short side in the X-Women net.
McLaughlin scored again less than three minutes later after continued Moncton pressure in the X zone. StFX could not clear the puck and McLaughlin skated in the from the point and beat McEwan with a high shot.
The 2-2 score remained after 40 minutes of play as each team had nine shots in the second period.
StFX quickly broke the tie as Emerson Elliott (Aurora, ON) scored the game winner on the power play 15 seconds into the third period. She redirected the puck past Berthiaume after a nice passing play from Tyra Meropoulis (Edson, AB) and Lea MacLeod (Dartmouth, NS).
Elliott and Meropoulis connected again four minutes later on a nice give-and-go play to put the X-Women up 4-2.
The Aigles Bleues took a timeout and pulled Berthiaume from the net with 3:30 left in the game but Lindsey Donovan (Miramichi, NB) scored an empty net goal, sending the puck the full length of the ice at 17:30.
Kristen McKinley (Rothesay, NB) rounded out the scoring for the X-Women as she deflected a Josie Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) shot point that went in off a Moncton player.
Final shots in the game were 25-23 in favour of the X-Women as McEwan had 21 saves for the win.
McLaughlin was named the third star of the game for her two-goal effort for the Aigles Bleues. Elliott was the second star and Meropoulis the first star and Subway player of the game as each linemate scored a goal and had two assists.
The X-Women will be back on the ice Sunday afternoon as they host the Mount Allison Mounties at 3:00 pm.
Moncton next see action on Wednesday, January 22nd when they travel to Fredericton for a game against St. Thomas.
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Courtesy Krista McKenna, StFX Sports Information