X-Women top Huskies 5-4

The St Francis Xavier X-Women topped the Saint Mary's University Huskies 5-4 this afternoon at Alumni Arena in Halifax, NS. The game featured the top five scorers in the AUS and they did not disappoint as each posted multi-point games.

The Huskies wrap up their regular season with an 18-3-3 record. Their 39-points sends them into the AUS playoffs as the number one seed. They will have a bye into the semi-finals.

The X-Women moved their record to 15-8 with one regular season game left to play. Their 30-points on the season will send them into the playoffs as the third seed, regardless of the outcome of their final game.

Ariana Orasanin (Ancaster, ON) made 22 saves for the X-Women in the win. She improved her record to 12-2.

Daley Oddy (Cranbrooke, BC) (12), Kara Power (New Glasgow, NS) (9, 10), Sarah Bujold (21) and Emily Power (Airdrie, AB) (8) lit the lamp for the X-Women.

Bujold sits first in the AUS with 21-goals and second in points with 37. Oddy added two assists and is now fourth in the AUS with 30-points and Kara Power added an assist and is fifth with 29-points.

Sarah Douglas (Whitby, ON) (1), Nicole Blanche (Dunville, NF) (7-8) and Breanna Lanceleve (Middle Sackvill,e NS) (15) responded with goals for the Huskies.

Lanceleve added two assists to finish the regular season with 40-points, she is currently first in AUS scoring.  Caitlin Manning (Cambridge, NS) also picked up a couple of helpers to finish the regular season with 34-points and sits third in AUS scoring.

Rebecca Weagle (Lunenburg, NS) made 16 saves for the Huskies as her record fell to 4-1.

The Huskies honoured graduating players with a ceremony before the game. Haylee Tretiak (Teulon, MB), Nicole Blanche(Bedford, NS), Rebecca Weagle, Sarah Douglas and Caitlyn Manning were all celebrated for their careers as Huskies. Tretiak and Douglas are both finishing off their fifth and final years of U-Sports eligibility.

Oddy opened the scoring 10:44 into the game. At the end of a kill Heather Tillsley (Aurora ON) sent the puck up the right wall to Lisa Downey (Stratford ON) just outside the X-Women blue line.  Downey took a step and spotted Oddy out of the box, Oddy worked in on a blue line breakaway and made a backhand – forehand move before sniping high glove.

Kara Power's first goal came on the power play at the 13:10 mark of the first. Tillsley got the puck on the left point and sent it to Oddy in the corner.  Oddy worked her way up the wall with her head up and sent a cross-ice pass to Kara Power on the back post and Power sent it over the outstretched pad of Weagle.

Bujold made it 3-0 X-Women with a shorthanded marker 6:02 into the second. Kara Power found her in the slot and she ripped her shot home for her league leading 21^st.

Douglas answered right back for the Huskies just 17 seconds later on the power play. Manning and Lanceleve picked up assists on the play.

Kara Power picked up her second 6:29 into the third. Bujold carried through the neutral zone and fed Oddy just inside the Huskies line.  Oddy fired and Kara Power was able to knock home the rebound.

Blanche's first came just 1:19 later. Manning sent the puck to Lanceleve behind the X-Women net, Lanceleve worked out front and took a shot.  She battled to get the rebound and slid it to Blanche to the left of the net and Blanche tapped it in to make it 4-2.

Blanche made it 4-3 with 3:30 left to go in the third. Lanceleve got the puck to Kiana Wilkinson (Prince George BC) on the right point .  Wilkinson walked in to the top of the circle and fired a low shot that Blanche tipped in front.

Emily Power made it 5-3 with a power play goal with just 1:52 left it the third.

Lanceleve scored to make it 5-4 with just 11 seconds left as she banged home a rebound on the doorstep.

The X-Women were two for two on the power play, while the Huskies went two for four.

Shots were 26-21 for the Huskies.

Up Next:

The X-Women will wrap up their regular season at home against the Mount Allison Mounties in Antigonish NS on Sunday Feb. 12. They will play the Dalhousie Tigers in the first round of the AUS playoffs.

The Huskies have a bye through to the semifinals of the AUS playoffs and will face the lowest remaining seed to make it through the quarterfinals.

By Cam Honey-Webb, SMU Communications

Photo Mona Ghiz