X-Women earn commanding 8-3 win over Tommies

Antigonish, NS - The U SPORTS No. 8 ranked STFX X-Women closed out the first half of their season with a commanding 8-3 win over the St. Thomas Tommies on Saturday afternoon at the Charles V Keating Centre.

The play was even in the first period with both teams earning chances but the X-Women were the only team heading into the locker room with a goal.

At 11:28 of the first, Tyra Meropoulis (Edson,AB) picked up a pass in the X end. She then carried the puck through the neutral zone and broke in on a two on one, and picked the top corner with a shot. Kamdyn Switzer (Stittsville, ON) and Ella VandeSompel (London, ON) had the assists.

Shots at the end of the first period were 13-4 in favour of X.

With 5:42 gone in the second period, Lauren Dabrowski (Tiny, ON) fired a shot from the point that snuck through for a goal, with assists going to Emerson Elliott (Aurora, ON) and Hannah MacDonald (Wetaskawin, AB).

With just over 10 minutes gone in the period, after an extended X attack, Ellie Brown made the game 3-0 off an open shot from the slot, with assists going to Jayden Thompson (Aurora, ON) and Chloe Vukosa (Mississauga, ON).

With the shots at 27-7 after the goal, St. Thomas called a time out. It didn't quite work out as planned though as STFX scored again nine seconds later. Off the ensuing face off, Vukosa carried the puck into the Tommies' end and dropped it off for Thompson, who passed to Brown in front of the net, who knocked in her second goal of the game.

St. Thomas hung in though and made a game of it late in the period. With 1:44 left to play in the second, Brooke Stanford (Whitby, ON) gained the X zone before hitting Erin Arsenault (Oakville, ON) with a drop pass. Arsenault spotted an open Mariah Carey (Avonport, NS), who beat the X goalie Amaya Giraudier (Assiniboia, SK) with a low shot.

With 11 seconds left in the stanza, Stanford wired a low slapshot to bring the score to 4-2. Jacey Dane (Aurora, ON) and Lauren Legault (Winnipeg, MB) had the assists.

Shots at the end of the second were 34-13 for the home team.

The Tommies opened the scoring with 3:21 gone in the third, with Stephanie Goertzen (Caledon, ON) picking up a loose puck in the neutral zone and firing a shot at the X net from wide. Stephanie Goertzen (Caledon, ON) popped in the rebound, bringin the score to 4-3. That was as close as the Tommies would get though as the X-Women replied 19 seconds later.

Maggy Burbidge (Falmouth, NS), picked up the puck in the corner, skated out front, and potted an unassisted goal to bring the X lead back to two.

Close to midway through the period, Meropoulis picked up her second goal of the game with a laser of a shot to the top shelf on the power play to give her squad a 6-3 lead. Lea MacLeod (Dartmouth, NS) and Elliott had the assists.

Shortly thereafter, Burbidge potted her second of the game off an assist from Abby Lewis (Kanata, ON).

The X-Women lit the lamp with another power play maker with just over four minutes left to play, this time with Landyn Pitts (Antigonish, NS) hitting twine off an assist from Burbidge and Lewis, bringing the score to 8-3.

Shots at the end of the game were 53-22 in favour of STFX.

Giraudier had 19 saves for her seventh win of the season while Caroline Pietroski (Etobicoke, ON) made 45 saves in the net for St. Thomas.

Stanford was third star of the game, while Burbidge was second and Brown was named first star and Subway player of the game.

"It's a great way to end off the first half of the season, we all worked pretty hard out there," Brown said after the game.

"We're a really positive bunch so when we're cheering each other on, we can get things done."

With the team now on a break until their next game January 5 against Saint Mary's in Halifax, Brown said the team will get some needed rest.

"The break will be good and we've just got to keep practicing," said Brown.

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Courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Sports Information

Congrats to Ellie Brown, 1st Star & Subway Player of the Game with 2G in the X-Women's 8-3 win over STU today! �� #goxgo #subwayfuel pic.twitter.com/20RR9xj66b

— StFX Athletics (@StFXAthletics) November 27, 2021