Halifax, NS - Saturday night saw the top two teams in AUS women's hockey go head to head as second place Saint Mary's hosted first place STFX. But by the end of the game the league leaders swapped positions in the standings with the Huskies winning the game 4-2.
The first period was one that fit two evenly matched teams. Neither side was really able to get an advantage.The Huskies got two powerplays in a row midway through and momentum started to shift in the Huskies' favour.
Saint Mary's got on the board first when Jillian Duggan (Halifax NS) tried to centre the puck but ended up putting it past Amaya Giraudier (Assiniboia SK) in the X-Women net. After that the Huskies started controlling the pace of the game and the period ended with them outshooting the X-Women 19-6.
The Huskies' pressure continued into the second. Aimee O'Neill (Glace Bay NS) blocked an X-Women point shot, picked up the loose puck, outskated the defender and scored a breakaway short handed goal one minute into the period.
The Huskies scored again when Kara MacLean (Antigonish NS) tapped in a shot from Maddy Corbett (Sydney NS) which hit the post and bounced off the back of the StFX goalie.
Right after SMU's third goal the X-Women had a two-on-one rush that was saved by netminder Dagny Hudspeth (Burlington ON). Hudspeth also stopped her rebound which had bounced right on to a StFX stick in the high slot.
The Huskies' fourth goal of the night was a hard working goal by Shae Demale (Red Deer AB). She blocked a shot, took off down the ice, and got in position to receive a beauty centering pass from Caleigh Meraw (Red Deer AB). Demale made no mistake putting the puck in the net.
The 4-0 Huskies lead held up after two periods of play.
Saint Mary's took their foot off the gas in the third period, but still controlled play until there was six minutes left in the period. Within 30 seconds, the X-Women scored two goals back to back bringing the score to 4-2 with 5:30 left to play.
Emerson Elliott (Aurora ON) scored at 14:04 from Josie Chisholm, then 25 seconds later Abby Lewis (Kanata, ON) potted one for the X-Women.
StFX then had two power play chances in the final five minutes of the game, but were held at bay by excellent defending from Huskies and phenomenal goaltending by Hudspeth who absolutely stole the game from the X-Women in the closing minutes of the game.
AUS Subway Player of the Game was the Huskies' Shae Demale.
The Huskies are in action next on Nov. 4 when they host the Mount Allison Mounties.
StFX plays next on Nov. 5 when they head to New Brunswick to take on St. Thomas Tommies.
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Courtesy Matt Stickland, SMU Sports Information