(CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I.) - The Huskies' steady play saw them tie up the Subway AUS women's hockey championship quarter-final series with UPEI at one game apiece with a 3-0 victory at MacLauchlan Arena in Charlottetown in front of 170 fans on Thursday night.
With the series tied 1-1, the teams will now head back to Alumni Arena in Halifax for the deciding Game 3 on Saturday at 7 p.m.
UPEI was looking to use the momentum of their 6-3 victory on Wednesday night to sweep the series, but Saint Mary's was not ready to finish their season yet.
The first period was very even with SMU outshooting UPEI 10-8 in the frame. The opening goal came on a poor cross-ice pass by a UPEI defender that resulted in a turnover that Nicole Blanche (Dunville, N.L.) profited from 15:28 into the period. Mary Worndl (Kitchener, Ont.) and Haylee Tretiak (Teulon, Man.) picked up assists on the power play goal for the Huskies.
4:16 into the second period, Caitlyn Manning (Cambridge, Ont.) pushed the Huskies' lead to 2-0 by tipping in a point shot from Breanne Lanceleve (Middle Sackville, N.S.). Jenelle Rogers (Marystown, N.L.) picked up the other assist on the goal for Saint Mary's.
The shots were 12-8 in favour of UPEI in the second period.
The third period was quiet with Saint Mary's putting only four shots on goal to UPEI's two. Manning scored an unassisted goal, her second of the game, 6:43 into the frame.
The Huskies went 1-for-2 on the power play, while the Panthers went 0-for-3 with the one-skater advantage.
Justine McIntosh (East St. Paul, Man.) was perfect in the net for Saint Mary's, stopping all 22 of UPEI's shots. Marie-Soleil Deschenes (Île-Perrot, Que.) saved 19 of the Huskies' 22 shots they put on net.
The Subway player of game was Caitlyn Manning for Saint Mary's.
The winner of Saturday night's game will move on to the Subway AUS women's hockey championship best-of-three semi-final series.
Source: Ryan Lloyd for UPEI Sports Communications