X-Women close out first half with two wins

The CIS ranked No. 4 X-Women hockey team skated away with two wins on home ice this weekend to close out regular season play prior to the holiday break. They defeated Mount Allison 3-2 Saturday and followed up with a convincing 7-1 win over UPEI on Sunday to improve to 9-2-0 on the season.

The X-Women easily handled the UPEI Panthers Sunday afternoon at the StFX Keating Centre. After the Panthers were first to hit the score sheet, the rest of the game was all StFX as they outshot the visitors 46-17 en route to the 7-1 victory.

Laura Bradley scored the lone Panthers goal at 8:25 of the first period and the 1-0 lead held until Alex Normore scored off a Brittney Perkins pass 6:08 into the second period to tie the game at 1-1. The X-Women then lit up for four more unanswered goals before the second period buzzer sounded.

Janelle Parent scored at 13:53 on a one-timer from Normore, then Rebecaa Traversa scored a power play marker from a Jenna Downey pass less than a minute later at 14:36. Traversa then assisted on Jessica McCullough’s goal at 16:27 where she beat Panthers netminder Bailey Toupin through the five-hole. Erin Brophy rounded out the second period scoring for StFX, putting home a Traversa rebound.

With a 5-1 lead after 40 minutes of play, the X-Women continued their strong play in the third period, allowing only three Panthers shots and tacking on two more goals of their own for the 7-1 win. Parent scored her second marker of the game, a power play goal at 2:04 with Suzanne Fenerty assisting. Perkins wrapped up the StFX scoring with a shorthanded goal at 14:30. Traversa picked up her third assist and Parent also assisted as she finished with three points in the game and Traversa with four.

Traversa was named the Subway Player of the Game for her one goal, three assist effort.  Katie Greenway earned the win in nets for X as she made 16 saves. Toupin took the loss for the Panthers, turning aside 39 StFX shots.

On Saturday afternoon the X-Women played a closer game with the Mount Allison Mounties, holding on for a 3-2 victory. Shots were even in the game with the Mounties holding the 30-27 edge. Jenna Pitts’ second period power play goal held up as the game winner.

Daniela Falconio scored the first goal of the game in StFX’s favor, as she scored just before the three minute mark of the opening period. Brophy and Leah Boucher assisted.  It was the lone goal of the period as the X-Women outshot the Mounties 10-8.

Mount Allison quickly erased the deficit in the second period however, as Lindsay James and Katelyn Morton scored consecutive goals for the visitors within the opening five minutes of play. Morton’s goal came on the power play. Unfortunately for the garnet and gold, the lead did not hold long as Normore notched the tying goal just 17 seconds later at the 5:04 minute mark of the second period. Parent and Perkins picked up assists.

The game winning goal came off the sick of Jenna Pitts at 15:08, still in the second period, as the X-Women were on the power play. Fenerty and Normore assisted on the play. Pitts’ goal would hold strong as neither team hit the back of the net in the third period and the X-Women won 3-2.

Both goaltenders played strong games as Kristy Garrow posted 28 saves in the StFX net for the win, while Meghan Corley-Byrne had 24 saves in the losing effort for the Mounties. Alex Normore received Subway Player of the Game honors for her efforts.

With a 9-2-0 record, the X-Women close out AUS regular season play for the first half of the season. They currently sit in second place in the AUS with 18 points, two back of first place Moncton (10-1-0), who handed them their only two losses to date. The X-Women will be travelling to Montreal to play in the McGill Invitational December 28-30th. They will play three exhibition games including a rematch of last year’s CIS final against the CIS ranked No. 1 McGill Martlets. StFX will also face the CIS No. 2 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks and the Manitoba Bisons.