X-Women hockey keep rolling in AUS play

The CIS No. 6 ranked X-Women hockey team padded their lead atop the AUS conference with weekend wins over St. Thomas and Moncton, both games ending in 3-1 scores in favor of the X-Women.

Sunday afternoon in Moncton, the teams played a scoreless first period though the X-Women held the shot advantage at 10-6. The second period brought an exchange of goals.

Catherine Dumas found the back of the net for the Aigles Bleues at 4:59 while on the power play, scoring unassisted. The X-Women replied at 8:33 as Erin Brophy scored what would be her first of two goals on the afternoon. Jenna Pitts assisted as did Katie Greenway, a rare assist going to the StFX goaltender.

Brophy netted her second marker just 1:15 into the third period. Catherine Civaterese picked up the helper. Freshman forward Schyler Campbell rounded out the scoring in the game with an insurance marker for X at 15:54, from Sara Kaljuvee and Taylor Dale.

The X-Women outshot the Aigles Bleues 34-23, with Greenway picking up the win in the StFX net. Jenna Van Belois was tagged with the loss for Moncton.

The previous day in Fredericton, the X-Women defeated the St. Thomas Tommies by the same 3-1 score.

The Tommies opened the scoring with a goal by Kayla Blackmore 3:35 into the first period. She scored after a scramble in front of the StFX net as Danielle Miller assisted.

AUS leading scorer Alex Normore tied the game at 6:11 while the X-Women were on the power play. Aby Laking picked up the helper as the 1-1 score stood after 20 minutes.

Player of the game Catherine Civitarese scored a goal in each of the second and third periods to give the X-Women the lead and eventual win. The goals were the first of her AUS career in her rookie season. Civitarese’s first goal came at 18:05 of the second period as she deflected a shot past Tommies goaltender Kristin Wolfe. Alyssa Hennigar and Schyler Campbell assisted on the play.

Civitarese scored the insurance marker for the X-Women at the 8:30 mark of the third period, finding the puck at the side of the net and burying it. Jenna Downey and Normore collected assists.

Kristy Garrow picked up the win for StFX with 21 saves. The blue and white outshot the Tommies 33-22.

With the two wins, the X-Women (18-1-0) collected another four points and increased their lead atop the AUS conference by nine points on second place St. Thomas (13-6-1). Their next game is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 27th against the fourth place UPEI Panthers (11-6-1). Game time is 4:00 pm at the StFX Keating Centre. This game was rescheduled from Jan. 30th. StFX will also travel to Halifax on Saturday, Jan. 26th for an exhibition game against the Saint Mary’s Huskies.