ANTIGONISH, NS - The Saint Mary's Huskies earned a hard fought 5-4 comeback win over the STFX X-Women on Friday night at the Charles V Keating Centre. Player of the game Miranda Hatt (Regina, SK) had two goals for the visitors, including the game winner.
It was a quick start for the X-Women, with Landyn Pitts (Antigonish, NS) slotting home a rebound shot 38 seconds into the game, after Kamdyn Switzer (Stittsville, ON) and Anna MacCara (Trenton, NS) broke in two-on-one.
Third star of the game Tea Pierce (Calgary, AB) doubled the STFX lead just over three minutes later, picking the top corner after streaking in off a pass from second star Ireland McCloskey (Barrie, ON).
The X-Women maintained the majority of possession early on, and were rewarded again with just under four minutes left in the period, as Maggy Burbidge (Falmouth, NS) rang one in off the bar from the faceoff dot while on the powerplay. McCloskey and Terryn Mozes (Kanata, ON) assisted. Shots at the end of the period were 12-7 in favour of STFX.
Shortly after resuming play in the second period, Saint Mary's was awarded a goal after scoring at 17:34 of the first period, with Jillian Duggan (Halifax, NS) lighting the lamp at the time but play continued.
Aimee O'Neill (Glace Bay, NS) was awarded a penalty shot for the Huskies with about nine minutes gone in the period, but Amaya Giraudier (Assiniboia, SK) stood tall and made the save in the X net. Huskies goalie Ridleigh Hansen (Red Deer, AB) returned the favour soon after, making a big stop on MacCara from in close.
The Huskies made it a one goal game midway through the period, with Avery Cant (Waterloo, ON) getting the last stick to a puck off a scramble on the powerplay.
Keyara Nelson (Belleville, ON) tied the game up four minutes later, off a set-up from Gillian Lapierre (Port Coquitlam, BC). The Huskies weren't done though, and Hatt gave the visitors the lead late in the second, finding the back of the net after picking up the puck at the Huskies' blueline with 11 seconds to go. Kate Gallant (Brooklin, ON) had the assist.
Shots at the end of the second period were 23-15 in favour of the X-Women.
STFX was buzzing early on looking for the tying marker, and they found paydirt eight minutes in, with Mackenzie Lothian wristing one from the point though a crowd, with Switzer getting the helper.
Both teams pushed for the go-ahead goal, and it was the Huskies who found it, with Hatt scoring the game winner short side from out wide with less than two minutes to go, with Ashley Penny (Lawrencetown, NS) and Allie Barter (Hammonds Plains, NS) getting the assists after some strong forechecking.
Hansen made 31 saves in the victory, while Giraudier had 16 stops for the X-Women. Shots at the end of the game were 35-21 for STFX.
Prior to the opening face-off, the X-Women coaches honoured graduating seniors Olivia Sutton (Calgary, AB), McKiya Mazur (Russell, MB), Maggie Johnston (Summerside, PE), Chloe Oleksiuk (Winnipeg, MB), and Maggy Burbidge (Falmouth, NS).
The X-Women will finish off their regular season on Tuesday night when they visit the UNB Reds at 7 p.m. The Huskies host the Mount Allison Mounties on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
-30-
Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Atlhetics