X-Women down Tigers 4-1 in home opener

(ANTIGONISH, N.S.) - NS - The StFX X-Women (2-1) skated to a 4-1 win over the Dalhousie Tigers (2-2) in AUS women's hockey action Friday night at the Charles V. Keating Centre.

It was the regular season home opener for the blue and white under interim head coach and Antigonish native Ben Berthiaume.

"It always feels good to win that one," Berthiaume said of the first game of the season on home ice.

Connor Garagan (Fredericton, N.B.) tallied one goal and two assists in the first period as the X-Women took a three-goal advantage.

Nicole Halladay (Smiths Falls, Ont.) opened the scoring on the power play at 9:30, with assists going to Alex Normore (Bedford, N.S.) and Garagan.

"It was a great way to start. We wanted to take the momentum," Halladay, a freshman defender, said after the opening period.

After two goals in 27 seconds in the final 1:53 of the first period, the X-Women took a 3-0 lead to the locker room.

At 18:07, Schyler Campbell (Galloway, N.B.) walked out from the corner and roofed a point blank shot over the left shoulder of Tiger goaltender Jessica Severeyns (Hammonds Plains, N.S.) to make it 2-0. Garagan had the lone assist on the marker.

Garagan, from X-Women captain Taylor Dale (Oromocto, N.B.) and Catherine Civitarese (Calgary, Alta.), rounded out the first period scoring at 18:34.

The Tigers scored the lone goal of the second period to trim the X-Women lead to 3-1 after 40 minutes.

Elizabeth MacArthur (Truro, N.S.) ripped a wrist shot top shelf over the shoulder of X-Women goaltender Pascale Daigle (Irishtown, N.B.) at the 7:14 mark. Lisa MacLean (Inverness, N.S.) and Kayla Ogilvie (Pense, Sask.) garnered the assists.

"We were a little lackadaisical in the second and third periods," Berthiaume said.

Normore scored the only goal of the third period to make it 4-1 for the X-Women. Kara Power (New Glasgow, N.S.) and Halladay notched the assists. The Bedford native poked a rebound in from the lip of the crease.

In the third period, before the Normore insurance goal, Daigle made several key saves, including two with the right pad, to maintain the X-Women's then two-goal margin.

The three stars of the game were Garagan (1st) and Daigle (2nd) of the X-Women, along with MacLean (3rd) of the Tigers.

The Tigers are back on the ice Saturday, Nov. 1, when they host the UPEI Panthers at the Halifax Forum.

The X-Women return to action Saturday, Oct. 25, when they host the Mount Allison Mounties.

"They are a team that skates well so we are going to have a play a full game," Berthiaume said of the Mounties.

Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. at the Keating Centre.

Source: StFX Sports Information