Pitts fires two goals in 4-3 X-Women win in Game 3
Player of the Game Landyn Pitts had a two-goal night – including the game winner - to help the X-Women in a tightly contested 4-3 win over the Tommies
FREDERICTON, NB - Player of the Game Landyn Pitts had a two-goal night – including the game winner - to help the STFX X-Women in a tightly contested 4-3 win over the St. Thomas Tommies Tuesday night in Atlantic University Sport semi-final playoff action.
With the win, the X-Women are one game away from a shot at the AUS title after taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Both semi-final winners will also qualify for the U SPORTS championship tournament set for March 20-23 in Waterloo, Ontario.
The Tommies came out of the gate quick, with player of the game Nadia Lavoie jumping on her own rebound and finding the back of the STFX net 9 seconds into the game.
STFX didn't waste a lot of time trying to find the equalizer, as Landyn Pitts notched the tying marker four minutes later while on the powerplay.
WHKY AUS SF: Here's Landyn Pitts' power play marker off a nice feed from Kamdyn Switzer! #goxgo pic.twitter.com/eanELRSoOv
— StFX Athletics (@StFXAthletics) March 4, 2025
Megan Kirkpatrick made it 2-1 for St. Thomas halfway through the period, snapping home a Lavoie rebound from in close.
STFX looked to reply with a pair of powerplays later in the period, and it was Anna MacCara who knotted things up with two minutes to go before intermission.
WHKY AUS SF: Anna MacCara ties it up 2-2 with a power play goal late in the 1st period! #goxgo pic.twitter.com/izujoDZpAj
— StFX Athletics (@StFXAthletics) March 4, 2025
It was the first time in the series both teams scored in the same period and matched the most goals each team scored in the previous two games.
Tea Pearce got the last stick on the puck off a scramble in front of the St. Thomas net to pull the X-Women into the lead for the first time in the game halfway through the middle period.
WHKY AUS SF: Tea Pearce deposits a rebound to give the X-Women a 3-2 second period lead! #goxgo pic.twitter.com/g0mG5i1rms
— StFX Athletics (@StFXAthletics) March 5, 2025
The Tommies spent much of the rest of the period peppering STFX goalie Bianca Zak with shots, but the stanza ended with the visitors still up a goal, 3-2.
St. Thomas enjoyed a two-player powerplay early in the third period, and it was captain Ekaterina Pelowich who sniped one top shelf from the faceoff dot for the equalizer.
STFX wasn't to be denied though, and Pitts potted one off her own rebound to regain the lead for the visitors with six minutes left in the game.
WHKY AUS SF: Here's the go-ahead goal by Landyn Pitts in the 3rd to give X a 4-3 lead! #goxgo pic.twitter.com/YAyGVHDBtP
— StFX Athletics (@StFXAthletics) March 5, 2025
The Tommies looked dangerous in the final minutes but weren't able to conjure another goal and the X-Women sealed the victory.
Zak finished the game with 32 saves while Katie Sweeney made 14 stops for the Tommies.
Game 4 is set for Wednesday, March 5, also in Fredericton. Game 5, if necessary, is scheduled for Friday, March 7, at 7 p.m. in Antigonish.
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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics
