Panthers defeat Aigles Bleues 3-2, extend win streak to six games

By Thomas Becker

On a night when her mother flew in from Calgary for a surprise visit, McKinley Nelson recorded two assists, none bigger than a highlight reel play that led to the winning goal. 

Tied at two with three and half minutes to play, Nelson took the puck through the neutral zone and got by the last defender with a great move before sliding a backhand pass to Chloe McCabe for the easy tap in, as the UPEI Panthers defeated the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues 3-2. 

After the game, Nelson said she had no idea her mother was making the trek over but admitted that the loving gesture may have fueled her during the game. 

"I was on the phone with her this morning, and I had no clue she was coming," said Nelson, who was grinning ear to ear. "Kelly (Clements) came up to me during warmup to let me know she was here, so it was really exciting. I'm really close to my mom and it's my birthday this weekend, so it will be nice to spend it with her."

Looking to capture their sixth win in a row, the Panthers (13-6-1) jumped out of the gate and struck quickly. Defender Orianna MacNeil floated an innocent-looking wrist shot that baffled Moncton (9-12-0) goaltender Audrey Berthiaume and found the back of the net just two and a half minutes into the game. 

UPEI doubled their lead on a power play at 8:19 when a series of rebounds led to a goal. The first rebound came off Nelson's shot that Berthiaume got a pad on. Then Ruby Loughton got a crack at it but fired a shot off the crossbar before it ricocheted to Taylor Gillis, who tapped in the easy goal. 

Late in the period, Moncton got one back when Alexia Desforges put away a rebound at 17:46. Panther netminder Sarah Forsythe made a great save on Erica Plourde's initial shot but couldn't recover in time to make the stop on Desforges' shot from the slot. 

Forsythe, who finished the game with 23 saves, was crucial in a second period that could've been much worse for the Panthers. UPEI was outshot 14-5 in the frame and didn't bring the necessary energy to add to their lead. Instead, Moncton tied it up on a power play goal at 7:45 when Plourde gathered the loose puck and fired a wrist shot from the top of the slot that beat Forsythe. 

The Panthers were much stronger in the third period as they looked for the go-ahead goal. They were finally rewarded with McCabe's winning tally at 16:35, which was set up beautifully by Nelson.

"I saw the far side open, so I started going," said Nelson describing the play. "I knew it was a two-on-one and I could see Chloe coming down, so I just had to get by one defender and slide it back to Chloe, who tucked it away." 

With the win, UPEI extended their win streak to a season-high six games. 

"It's a big win. Six games here. But six is luck and seven is a streak, so big game tomorrow."

Next up for the Panthers is a Saturday night showdown against the visiting St. FX X-Women, while the Aigles Bleues return home to take on the UNB Reds.

Photo Credit: Janessa Hogan