Tigers score five unanswered goals to beat X-Women

Antigonish, NS - A determined Dalhousie Tigers hockey team fought back from a three goal deficit to upset the U SPORTS No. 1 ranked STFX X Women 5-3 at the Charles V Keating Centre in Antigonish Wednesday night.

The Tigers erased a 3-0 X-Women lead after one period to score five unanswered goals in the victory.

STFX lit up the scoreboard early, with Landyn Pitts (Antigonish, NS) hitting the twine at 1:53 of the first period. Pitts picked up the puck off a face in the Dalhousie end and slid it past Taylor Beam (Brooklin, ON) in the Tigers' net. McKiya Mazur (Russell, MB) had the assist.

It didn't take long for X to increase their lead. The play started with defender Hannah MacDonald (Wetaskawin, AB) corralling the puck in the STFX end and firing a pass to Emerson Elliott (Aurora, ON) who knocked it over to Anna MacCara (Trenton, NS). She then slid the puck home after a nifty deke at the 4:45 marker.

The X Women increased their lead less than three minutes later when Tyra Meropoulis (Edson, AB) put a pass on the tape of Josie Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) who fired it home from the point.

The X-Women led in shots 13-6 at the end of the first period

Dalhousie got rolling in the second period, with Kaela Thomson (Norwalk, CT) beating X goalie Jamie Johnson (Victoria, BC) with 42 seconds gone in the period. MacKenzie Drake (Dartmouth, NS) had the assist.

Dalhousie kept pushing for another goal and were rewarded at the 3:16 mark. With two X-Women players in the sin bin, Taylor Joyce (Halifax, NS) tipped in an Alix Yallowega (Winnipeg, MB) shot from the point to bring the Tigers within one.

Dalhousie drew even at the 18:26 mark of the second stanza, with Lexie Small (Grand Falls, NL) knocking home a close shot off a pass from Jayden Stitt (Carleton Place, ON). STFX led in shots at the end of the second, 20-17 as the teams were deadlocked at 3-3.

Both teams pressed hard in the third period but it was Dalhousie scoring early again. Autumn Moors (Ottawa, ON) passed the puck up to Joyce who skated in and fired a shot from the hashmarks. Johnson made the initial save but Drake poked home the rebound, giving Dalhousie the lead and what would stand up as the game winner.

Despite their best efforts, STFX couldn't answer and Emma Bishop (Bedford, NS) sealed the game with an empty net goal.

Beam had 29 saves on the night, while Johnson had 17.

Dalhousie's Kaela Thomson was the first star and Subway Player of the Game. STFX's Anna MacCara was the second star and Tigers Mackenzie Drake received third star honours.

With the loss, STFX falls to 6-3 on the season, while Dalhousie (2-7) picked up their second win. StFX now heads to New Brunswick to take on St. Thomas on Friday night, while Dalhousie with play their cross town rivals, the Saint Mary's Huskies on Saturday night.

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Courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Sports Information