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X-Women come from behind to defeat Huskies 4-3 in battle of nationally ranked rivals

The U SPORTS #7-ranked St. Francis Xavier X-Women scored three unanswered third period goals to secure a 4-3 comeback victory over the #3-ranked Saint Mary’s Huskies at the Dauphinee Centre in Halifax on Monday night.

Photo credit Nick Pearce
Photo credit Nick Pearce
Video Box Score
February 21, 2022

HALIFAX, N.S. - The U SPORTS #7-ranked St. Francis Xavier X-Women scored three unanswered third period goals to secure a 4-3 comeback victory over the #3-ranked Saint Mary's Huskies at the Dauphinee Centre in Halifax on Monday night.

It was the third matchup of the season between the Huskies and X-Women, with Saint Mary's winning the first two by scores of 4-2 and 3-1. Despite the previous matchups, Monday night's game was expected to be competitive with the Huskies playing their second game in as many days, and the X-Women coming in hot on a three-game winning streak.

The Huskies offense got going early, with Lauren Papp (Brampton, ON) and Kate Gallant (Brooklin, ON) each having good scoring opportunities in the first two minutes, but X-Women goaltender Jamie Johnson (Victoria, BC) shut the door.

Moments later, the Huskies broke through as Keyera Nelson (Belleville, ON) carried the puck over the blue line and found Gallant, who had a couple whacks at the puck before sneaking it past Johnson for her second goal of the season, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead just 3:08 into the game.

Over the next 15 minutes of play, both teams had several great opportunities, with Huskies goaltender Dagny Hudspeth (Burlington, ON) making a pair of great saves on 2019-20 AUS MVP Tyra Meropoulis (Edson, AB) and AUS leading scorer Maddy Burbidge (Falmouth, NS). The X-Women offense kept coming and a Landyn Pitts (Antigonish, NS) point shot trickled past Hudspeth to tie the game at 1-1 with just 1:30 remaining in the period.

The Huskies responded instantly, as just 12 seconds later Siobhan Birch (Mississauga, ON) found first year Kara MacLean (Antigonish, NS) in front of the net, where she put home her second goal in as many days to restore the Huskies lead with 1:18 remaining in the first.

Both teams had their offences firing on all cylinders in the first period, with the X-Women outshooting the Huskies 14-13, but Hudspeth's 12 saves kept the Huskies in the driver's seat heading into the first intermission.

The second period was just as competitive, with both teams trading chances, and ramping up the defensive intensity. Hudspeth continued her strong play in net, stopping Burbidge on a partial breakaway just over 11 minutes into the period.

Moments later it was X-Women goaltender Jamie Johnson who provided heroics, robbing Aimee O'Neill (Glace Bay, NS) on a 2-on-1 to keep the X-Women within a goal. Less than two minutes later, Huskies defenceman Maddy Corbett (Sydney, NS) brought the puck over the blue line and fired a rocket shot that trickled past Johnson to give Saint Mary's a 3-1 lead with 5:17 remaining in the period.

The Huskies took the 3-1 lead into the second intermission, with each team registering nine shots on goal in the second period.

The rivalry got even more heated to begin the third period, with the Huskies having a pair of powerplay opportunities as Meropoulis served two minutes for boarding, and Abby Lewis (Kanata, ON) was whistled for crosschecking. The Huskies could only muster two shots on the powerplay, and their advantage was quickly taken away after Ellen Laurence (Kentville, NS) was called for interference.

In the waning seconds of the ensuing X-Women powerplay, Lewis found herself on a breakaway and deked a forehand shot past Hudspeth to cut the Huskies lead to one goal with 11:45 remaining in the period.

The intensity in the Dauphinee Centre was palpable as the Huskies scrambled to deny an equalizing opportunity for the hard charging X-Women, with Hudspeth making several more excellent saves. The X-Women kept the pressure on, and were rewarded with just under six minutes remaining, as defenceman Josie Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) threw a harmless looking shot into traffic, with forward Kamdyn Switzer (Stittsville, ON) deflecting it past Huspeth for her third goal of the season to equalize the game at 3-3 with just under six minutes remaining.

With just under two minutes remaining and the game tied, both teams were battling, but it was the X-Women who capitalized, as Chisholm fired a point shot that found its way past a screened Hudspeth to give the X-Women a 4-3 lead with 1:45 remaining.

The Huskies took a timeout and pulled Hudspeth for the extra attacker, but were unable to manufacture a scoring chance, and time expired with the X-Women securing the come-from-behind victory. The X-Women outshot the Huskies 15-7 in the third period, and 38-29 in the game. The Huskies failed to capitalize on their four powerplay opportunities, while the X-Women went one for two on the powerplay.

X-Women defenceman Josie Chisholm was named Subway player of the game with the game winning goal and three assists.

With the win, the X-Women improved to 12-6 on the campaign. StFX will next be in action on Friday night, as they visit the St. Thomas Tommies at the Grant-Harvey Centre in Fredericton.

The loss drops the Huskies record to 14-3-1 on the season. Saint Mary's will be back in action on home ice on Wednesday night, as they take on their crosstown rivals the Dalhousie Tigers at the Dauphinee Centre.

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Recap courtesy Allan April / SMU Huskies Athletics