Mounties earn road win over X-Women

(Antigonish, N.S.) - The visiting Mount Allison Mounties (5-6) scored a 5-3 win over the CIS #6 ranked StFX X-Women (4-5-1) in AUS hockey action Sunday afternoon at the Keating Centre.

In the opening period, the X-Women had the first quality scoring opportunity, when Kara Power (New Glasgow, NS) fed Heather Tillsley (Aurora, ON), who broke in alone on Mountie Keri Martin (Brampton, ON), but the junior goaltender made the save.

A few minutes later, Schyler Campbell (Galloway, NB) had a chance at the lip of the Mount Allison crease, but Martin turned aside that effort.

On a four-minute power play, the Mounties pressed, but X-Women goaltender Pascale Daigle (Irishtown, NB) made several top-notch saves to keep the game scoreless.

At 10:42, with the advantage, the visitors finally broke through, when Samantha Bujold (Rothesay, NB) batted the rebound off a point shot behind Daigle. Mackenzie Lalonde (Ottawa, ON) and Ashley Murphy (The Pas, MB) collected the assists.

The X-Women had several cracks at tying the game, but Martin stoned Jenna MacDonald (Osgoode, ON), who made a nifty move to the backhand on a breakaway. She couldn't life the puck over the goaltender's outstretched pad. 

Martin turned aside 21 shots in the first period, while Daigle blocked 11 pucks.

In the second period, the X-Women came out forcefully, but Martin continued to hold the fort. 

Finally, at 7:27, StFX broke through to tie game, capitalizing on a Mount Allison turnover just inside their blue line. Kara Power and team captain Taylor Dale (Oromocto, NB) broke in two-on-none, with Power completing a nifty passing play.

The Mounties regained their one-goal advantage at 10:16, when Lalonde grabbed an X-Women turnover and broke in alone, beating Daigle with a low shot to the short side. The unassisted marker came on the first shot of the second period for Mount Allison.

Just more than three minutes later, at 13:42, Kara Anthony (Toronto, ON) and Mount Allison captain Amanda Volcko (Halifax, NS) worked a fabulous give-and-go, with Anthony finding the top corner over the outstretched glove of Daigle. Lalonde, with her third point of the afternoon, provided the other assist.

At the 36-second mark of the third period, Heather Richards (St. Anthony NL) batted in her own rebound to give the Mounties a 4-1 advantage. Anthony and Volcko notched the assists.

At 10:14, the X-Women started their rally, with Connor Garagan (Fredericton, NB) making a rush into the Mount Allison zone before beating Martin with a backhander along the ice. It was unassisted.

Less than four minutes later, at 13:32, Kara Power scored her second of the game to trim the deficit to 4-3. Daley Oddy (Cranbrook, BC) collected the lone assist.

The X-Women pressed to complete the comeback, but the Mounties sealed the deal at the 18:30 mark, on an unassisted, empty-net goal from Shelby Colton (Kanata, ON).

Martin made 43 saves for the win, while Daigle turned aside 15 shots in the loss.

The Subway player of the game and first star was Martin, while Lalonde and Kara Power collected second and third star selections, respectively.

The X-Women will be back in action Friday, Nov. 27, when they face the UPEI Panthers in Charlottetown, at 7 p.m., while the Mounties will visit the Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax on Saturday, Nov. 28, beginning at 2 p.m.

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