by Duncan Forbes
The Tigers didn’t come in to this season with gigantic expectations like some other teams. Last year the team struggled to a 5-16-2 record and finished in last place in the AUS. They had a very young team that was made up mostly of first-year players that were just beginning to adjust to the style and pace of the AUS game.
Coming into this year, much of last year’s young core remained as the Tigers now brought more experience to the table with hopes that they could build on last year and make the playoffs this season.
They began their pre-season with a 3-1 loss against the Saint Mary’s Huskies on September 17, and followed it up with a pair of losses against the StFX X-Women later that week. The team just couldn’t seem to put the puck in the net, despite solid defensive efforts.
They finished their pre-season on a high note as they outlasted the Huskies 4-3 in overtime. The momentum gained from their first win carried over into the regular season as they beat the Mount Allison Mounties 5-2 after being down 2-0 early in the first period. Jesse Rietveld had two goals while Elizabeth MacArthur and Lisa MacLean each had three point games in the comeback victory.
They followed up the win by going 1-2 in their next three games to bring the team to 2-2 after the first month of play. The Tigers opened November with a stunning 4-3 loss to the UPEI Panthers at home. Up 2-0 after the first period and up 3-1 midway through the second period, the Panthers scored three unanswered goals to overcome the Tigers. They couldn’t seem to stop the Panthers power play as their penalty kill went 0-2 in the loss.
The Tigers followed up the loss with a 3-0 shutout victory the next day against the University of Moncton. Jessica Severeyns made 38 saves for her first AUS shutout as the Tigers won despite being out-shot. Severeyns, along with Jeanne Morin and Mati Barrett, is part of a rotating trio of goaltenders getting time between the pipes for the Tigers, and she’s been perhaps the most impressive. She leads the Tigers in both goals-against average and save percentage after joining the team last season as a redshirt.
“She’s really stepped up her play and been a significant part of our team’s success,” says Tigers head coach Sean Fraser.
After the win, the Tigers were stuck in a losing skid that saw them drop four straight games. They scored just five goals during the streak, while they allowed 15, including seven in a 7-1 loss to the StFX X-Women where they allowed 44 shots as the X-Women chased Jeanne Morin out of the net after just one period.
They broke the streak with a 5-4 victory over the Saint Mary’s Huskies. Maggie Beaton had two goals and Mati Barrett had 33 saves in the victory that brought the Tigers record up to 4-7.
After dropping their next game on the road against the Panthers, the Tigers finished off the first half of their season with a huge 3-2 shootout victory at home against the St. Thomas Tommies. Maggie Beaton scored her sixth goal of the season midway through the third period to tie the game at two to send the game to overtime. After Jesse Rietveld scored in the third round of the shootout to keep the Tigers alive, and Jennifer Thompson scored in the fifth round to capture the victory for the Tigers.
The Tigers head into the second half of the season in fifth-place in the AUS with a 5-8 record. Coach Fraser is impressed with the team’s efforts so far, but he thinks that the Tigers will need to display a more consistent effort if they’re to be successful going forward.
“Our team has worked hard, we are quick and when we play with relentless pressure, we can outplay any team,” explains Fraser. “We have great team chemistry and our team supports one another on and off the ice. They key for our team’s success for the rest of this season will be to continue to work hard on and off the ice, and to continue to improve every day/game and find a way to play 60 minutes every single game.”
Elizabeth MacArthur leads the Tigers in scoring and ranks sixth in the AUS with 14 points. Not far behind her is line-mate Lisa MacLean, who despite not scoring a goal this season, is seventh in the AUS in points with 13 assists. Both second-year players have already surpassed their point totals from last season and have led the Tigers offensively all season long.
Coach Fraser is excited to see what’s to come for his young Tigers team, who has shown glimpses of what they could become in the future.
“It has been incredible to watch our team grow over the past season and half and I’m excited to see our team keep improving and take the next step,” says Fraser.
They’ll get back on the ice when they face off against the 13-1 StFX X-Women in Antigonish on January 9.