Hockey X-Women fall 8-6 to Moncton

The StFX X-Women dropped an 8-6 decision to the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues in AUS hockey action Saturday afternoon.
 
In the see-saw battle in Moncton of the top-two teams in the league, the home team jumped to a 3-0 lead by the five-minute mark of the second period on goals by Johannie Thibeault, with two, and M.P. Arsenault.
 
Alex Normore, with her first of two, opened the scoring for the X-Women with a shorthanded goal at the 11:09 mark, with assists from Janelle Parent and Megan Innes.
 
Parent tallied five points, including a pair of goals, while Normore had three points.
 
Jenna Pitts, who contributed three points, cut the Aigles Bleues lead to 3-2 at 13:36 of the second period.
 
Thibeault made it 4-2 with her hat-trick goal forty seconds later.
 
At 16:19, Janie LeBlanc, unassisted, extended the Aigles Bleues advantage to 5-2.
 
Before the second period ended, Parent trimmed the lead to 5-3 at 17:56.
 
It was a tale of two halves in a wild third period.
 
By the 9:44 mark, the X-Women took a 6-5 lead on goals by Normore, Jenna Downey and Parent.
 
Moncton responded with three unanswered goals in the back half of regulation by Natalie Cormier, Arsenault and Amelie Lariviere, making the final 8-6.
 
StFX outshot Moncton 45-23.
 
Katie Greenway made 15 saves in the loss, while Kathy Desjardins turned aside 39 X-Women attempts.
 
With the loss, the CIS No. 1 ranked X-Women fall to 4-1 in conference play, while Moncton improves to 5-0.
 
The X-Women return to action Sunday afternoon in Fredericton when they face the St. Thomas Tommies.

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