Aigles Bleues skate to 5-1 victory over X-Women

Photo courtesy Lauren Tidd
Photo courtesy Lauren Tidd

Antigonish, NS - The visiting Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues (6-8-3) skated to a 5-1 victory over the StFX X-Women (8-7-0) Friday night in Atlantic University Sport hockey action at the Keating Centre.

Moncton jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period.

At 5:22, on the power play, captain Karine Roy (Nigadoo, NB) banged in a rebound behind X-Women goaltender Carley Molnar (London, ON). Katryne Villeneuve (Casselman, ON) and Katherine Dubuc (Victoriaville, QC) assisted.

At 11:20, Moncton doubled their edge, when Marie-Pier Corriveau (Magog, QC) took advantage of an X-Women turnover in their own zone and roofed a wrist shot over Molnar. Sarah-Eve Mailhot (Montreal, QC) and Julie Theriault (Campbellton, NB) collected assists.

Moncton looked for more, with a 5-on-3 advantage for more than 90 seconds, but the X-Women barred the door.

The X-Women started the second period on a carry-over power play, but they came up empty.

The home side did get an early scoring opportunity, when Sarah Bujold (Riverview, NB) redirected a point shot from Santana Gravelle (Lumsden, SK) but Sabrina Lebrun (Lasalle, QC) made the stop.

After a turnover, Molnar kept the X-Women deficit at two goals, with a sharp save on Brittany Poitras (Saint-Andre, NB).

A short time later, Bujold made a centering pass to Kara Power (New Glasgow, NS), who snapped a hard shot, but Lebrun steered it aside with her right shoulder.

On the power play, at 15:34, Poitras scored, from Villeneuve and Dubuc, to give Moncton a 3-0 edge.

Less than three minutes later, at 18:33, Roxanne Turcotte (Rimouski, QC) gobbled up the rebound, off a Chantal Beauchamp (Halifax, NS) point shot, and beat Molnar. Dubuc notched the other assist.

Moncton led 4-0 after two periods.

Early in the third period, the X-Women tried to rally, boosted by an early goal from Brooke Noseworthy (St. Anthony, NL), who took a centering pass from Alley Goudreau (Airdrie, AB), after the duo's fore check forced a Moncton turnover.

Still down three goals, Daley Oddy (Cranbrook, BC) garnered a couple opportunities, off the rush, but Lebrun turned her aside.

On a power play, Heather Tillsley (Aurora, ON) collected a pair of point shots, but she could not carve into the Moncton lead.

At 17:50, Dubuc wrapped up the scoring with an empty-net goal.

Lebrun made 26 saves for the win, while Molnar steered aside 22 shots in the loss.

Dubuc was Subway player of the game and first star, while Villeneuve and Noseworthy were second and third stars, respectively.

The X-Women will be back on the ice Saturday, Jan. 14, when they travel to Sackville, NB to face the Mount Allison Mounties in a 7 p.m. start.

Les Aigles Bleues will return to action Sunday, Jan. 15, when they host the UPEI Panthers. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m.

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