X-Women over Huskies 4-3 in OT

(Halifax, NS) The St Francis Xavier University X-Women beat the Saint Mary's University Huskies 4-3 in overtime Wednesday night at Alumni Arena in Halifax, NS.

The loss drops the Huskies record to 13-1-3. The overtime point gives them 29 on the season, good for second place and two-points back of first in the AUS with seven games to play.

The X-Women move to 10-7. Their 20 points has them in fourth in the standings, one point back of third.

Sarah Bujold (Riverview, NB) (16, 17) led the way for the X-Women with a three-point night including the overtime winner. She now has 28-points on the season padding her lead as the top point producer in the league this year.

Daley Oddy (Cranbrooke, BC) (11) and Connor Garagan (Fredericton, NB) (5) also scored for the X-Women.

Arianna Orasanin (Ancaster, ON) made 20 saves in the win and improved her record to 6-1.

Caitlin Manning (Cambridge, ON) (10), Haylee Tretiak (Teulon, MB) (1) and Kate Barber (Aurora ON) (2) responded with goals for the Huskies.

Rebecca Clark (Keswick, ON) had 24 saves, as her record falls to 9-1-3.

Oddy opened the scoring 1:19 into the second period. Nicole Corcoran (Bloomfield, PE) moved the puck up to Bujold who streaked into the Huskies zone on the left wing and took a shot from the dot, Clark made a pad save and Oddy pounced on and buried the rebound to make it 1-0 X-Women.

Manning tied the game at 1-1 at the 9:11 mark of the second. Nicole Blanche (Dunville, NF) controlled the puck in the left corner of the X-Women zone and fed Breanna Lanceleve (Middle Sackville NS) in the slot.  Orasanin made the save on Lanceleve's shot and Manning went to her backhand to slide the rebound home.

Garagan made it 2-1 with a power play goal 15:06 into the second. Corcoran sent the puck from the left point down to Lydia Schurman (Summerside, PE) in the corner. Schurman moved toward the net below the goal line and made a pass to Garagan all alone on the doorstep and she quickly sent it five-hole for the goal.

Tretiak tied it at 2-2 9:31 into the third. Beatrice Harrietha (Guelph,ON) fired a shot form the point, Orasanin made the initial save then another on Siobhan Birch (Mississauga, ON). After a wild scramble with the puck loose in the crease, Tretiak found it and sent it in with a backhand.

Just over a minute later Bujold's first of the game came on the power play and made it 3-2 X-Women. Oddy worked the puck to Kara Power (New Glasgow, NS) on the right half wall. Power sent it to Lindsey Donovan (Miramichi, NB) on the point in the middle of the ice. she fired on goal and after Clark made the save the puck sat loose on top of the crease, Bujold jumped on it and slide it five-hole for her 16^th of the season.

Barber evened the game for the Huskies at 3-3 at the 14:11 mark of the third. Gemma MacDonald (Blooming Point, PE) got the puck to Mary Worndl (Kitchener, ON) in the Huskies zone. Worndl was able to get into the neutral zone and race up the right wing into the X-Women zone. Barber drove hard for the back post setting up a 2-1. She took a perfect pass from Worndl and sent it up over the right pad to force overtime.

Bujold scored the game winner on a great solo effort for her 17^th of the season 4:34 into the extra frame. Donovan made a nice defensive play to break up a Huskies attack and poked the puck to Santana Gravelle (Lumsden, SK).  She quickly sent it up ice for Bujold streaking through the neutral zone with a one-on-one opportunity. Bujold went wide to the left and then cut to her backhand across the top of the crease. Clark got a pad on the initial attempt but Bujold stuck with it and knocked it home for the 4-3 final.

The X-Women were two for four on the power play, while the Huskies went zero for five including a 48 second five-on-three in the first.

Shots were 28-23 in favour of the X-Women.

Up Next:

The X-Women host the St Thomas University Tommies in Antigonish NS on Sunday, January 22, while the Huskies host the Tommies on Saturday, January 21 at Alumni Arena in Halifax, NS.

By Cam Honey-Webb

Photo Nick Pearce