By Troy Langstaff
The St. Francis Xavier X-Women concluded their regular season with a 3-1 victory over the Dalhousie Tigers on a chilly Friday night at Wickwire Field in Halifax.
Coming into the game, StFX had already clinched a playoff spot. With a win the Tigers would clinch the sixth and final playoff spot but things got off to a rocky start when the X-Women scored 7 minutes in.
A seeing eye shot from Lauren Reid that found the bottom left of the goal.
The X-Women controlled the play for the first ten minutes. The Tigers would finally get some good possession and create a few good chances from crosses by Zoe Brown (halifax, NS) and Sofia Nicolls (Vancouver, BC)
StFX would extend their lead in the 20' minute. A free kick from the corner of the 18-yard box was headed into the back of the net by Abby Steen.
A few minutes later Dalhousie had their best chance when Riley Donovan (Toronto, ON) dribbled the ball past the StFX goalkeeper but couldn't get a shot on the open goal as the defender cleared the ball before Donovan could get to it.
In the 34' minute Tigers Emily Smith (Orleans, ON) fired a hard shot from the right side but it was a foot too high and rang off the crossbar and went out of play.
The X-Women led 2-0 at the half.
Ten minutes into the second half the X-Women would score to put the game out of reach. A lob shot off the foot of Amanda Smith from 25 yards out highlighted by a celebratory bow.
Dalhousie would get on the scoreboard in the 64' minute with a low shot from Inari Moore (Whitby, ON) into the bottom left corner.
This goal seemed to energize not only the team but the crowd as well as the Tigers pushed hard to get within a goal.
It was too little too late though as time would run out and StFX held on for the 3-1 victory.
AUS SUBWAY Player of the Game was Sarah Lapensee of the X-Women.
This was the last game of the season for the X-Women. Their next game will be in the quarter finals of the AUS playoffs on Thursday Nov. 4th versus either Mount Allison or Dalhousie.
The Tigers wrap up their season tomorrow at home versus Cape Breton. With UNB tying in their final game, the Tigers clinched the final playoff spot. They will play in the AUS quarter finals on Thursday versus either StFX or Acadia.