Burbidge hat trick paces X victory

Antigonish, NS - The STFX X-Women kicked off their 2023 playoff campaign with a decisive 5-1 win over the Saint Mary's Huskies on Wednesday night at the Charles V Keating Centre. It was the first game of the best-of-five AUS semi-final series, with Game 2 going Thursday night, also in Antigonish.

AUS leading scorer and STFX Subway player of the game Maggy Burbidge (Falmouth, NS) lead the way for the blue and white with a hat trick, scoring the first three of her team's goals. The U SPORTS leading scorer this season, Burbidge was also named an AUS first team all-star this week.

Saint Mary's Subway player of the game, second year forward Keyara Nelson (Belleville, ON) added her team's lone goal.

The Huskies aggressive forecheck hemmed in the X-Women early and kept the potent X-Women offence at bay for most of the first period. A scramble in front of STFX goalie Jamie Johnson (Victoria, BC) almost lead to a goal with five minutes gone but the Huskies couldn't finish the play.

Saint Mary's came close to opening the scoring on the powerplay with about six minutes left in the opening period, but Johnson kept the door shut.

STFX generated their best scoring chances on a late powerplay, but SMU goalie Ridleigh Hansen (Red Deer, AB) kept the score even. Shots at the end of the period were 10-4 in favour of Saint Mary's.   

The X-Women came out with some jump in the second stanza, putting pressure on the Huskies' defence and pucks on the net. STFX came close with around 10 minutes gone, but a goal-line save from Hansen kept the lamp from going off.

It was STFX's Burbidge who opened the scoring with about seven minutes left to play in the period, going in alone and roofing a shot glove side after being sprung free off a long pass from Chloe Vukosa (Mississauga, ON).

Shots at the end of the second period were 25-17 in favour of STFX as they held the 1-0 lead after 40 minutes of play.

It was back and forth action to start the third period with both teams generating serious chances in the first four minutes.

Burbidge struck again with four minutes gone, knocking one home in a scramble after some impressive forechecking from her linemates, with Vukosa and Lea MacLeod (Dartmouth, NS) assisting.

The Huskies got one back just over two minutes later, with Nelson banking one in from behind the net, as Abby McCarthy (Falmouth, NS) picked up the helper.

It only took a couple of minutes for the X-Women to respond, with Burbidge making it a hat trick, scoring her third goal of the night as her linemate and fellow AUS first team all-star MacLeod had the assist.

STFX added to their lead at the nine-minute marker, with Ellie Brown (Kemptville, ON) firing one high off a 2-on-1 with Kamdyn Switzer (Stittsville, ON). The X-Women made it a 5-1 game with three minutes left, with Vukosa going five-hole off a pass from Burbidge.

Shots at the end of the game were 38-27 in favour of the home team as Johnson posted 27 saves in the X net for the win. Hansen had a 34 save performance in the losing effort for the Huskies.

The SMU squad will look to regroup for Game 2 of the semi-final series as the teams take to the ice tomorrow evening at the STFX Keating Centre, while the X-Women look to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Puck drop is 7:00 pm.

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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics

With a hat trick (and 1 assist for good measure), Maggy Burbidge was named Subway Player of the Game in the X-Women's 5-1 victory over Saint Mary's! STFX now leads the semifinal series 1-0 #goxgo #SubwayFuel pic.twitter.com/2V8e1yKjTf

— StFX Athletics (@StFXAthletics) February 23, 2023