Written by Ethan Hunt
(Halifax, N.S.) -The Saint Mary's Huskies came out victorious 4-2 versus their cross city rival Dalhousie Tigers on Friday night at the Halifax Forum.
It was all Huskies' possession early, but DAL's Emma Bishop (Bedford, N.S.) was sprung on a partial breakaway by an off the board pass from Olivia Eustace (Riverview, N.B.), the forward nearly got loose, but the goalie came up with a sprawling save to turn away the first dangerous chance of the game.
Saint Mary's kept on the pressure, and it finally got on the scoresheet.
Just five minutes into the game, Kara MacLean (Antigonish, N.S.) picked Gabrielle Noordijk's (Oakville, ON) pocket and with little room put it top shelf over Maggie Baxter's (Mahone Bay, N.S.) far side shoulder to light the lamp for SMU.
The Tigers immediately answered back with a takeaway in their own zone by Alix Yallowega (Winnipeg, MB) that ended up on Abby Walmboldt's (Hammonds Plains, N.S.) stick who launched Bishop for a two on one, and Bishop eventually put it across to Eustace who somehow knocked it into the net with a defender all over her.
Aimee O'Neil (Glace Bay, N.S.), off of a weird bounce behind the Tigers' net put one out front to MacLean who teed it up in the high slot, but could not score her second of the night.
With five minutes left in the first period, off of a seemingly innocent point shot from Maddy Corbett (Sydney, N.S.), that may have been tipped, it beat Baxter, and laid just outside the DAL net until Mackenzie Beggs (Kemptville, ON) pounced on a rebound that restored the SMU lead.
That would end an eventful first period.
It would begin just as fast paced as it left off.
Off a tumble by a Dalhousie defender, Jillian Duggan (Halifax, N.S.) was all alone on a breakaway, but took a long range shot that was swallowed up for a whistle.
SMU's goalie -Ridleigh Hansen (Red Deer, AB)- had to be sharp, because for a whole shift or so Dalhousie had possession deep in Saint Mary's zone, and nearly ended in a goal with Natasha Falk (Brandon, MB) having all the time in the world in front of Huskies' net, but could not find the back of the net.
DAL found their answer at the 12 minute mark, as Noordijk put the puck on net from the blueline, and it bounced off Falk, to Anika Curri (New Canaan, CT) who put it past the SMU goalie.
Saint Mary's, not happy with a tied game, changed that quickly with Madelyn McCleary (Swift Current, SK) walking her line and finding an open Avery Cant (Waterloo, ON) who wired it top corner past Baxter.
Hansen continued to be sharp, this time off another breakaway Curri split two Saint Mary's defenders, but was unable to beat the goalie.
Off of some chaos behind the net, the puck took a bounce off the net and out to Falk who could not beat Huskies' Hansen even when she was down.
Hansen's great goaltending led to SMU adding to their lead off of a Corbett shot from the point, Avery Kant scored her second of the night to put the Tigers out of reach, and take home a 4-2 win.
Both teams will have Thanksgiving off, and Dalhousie will be back in action on October 10; the Tigers will be travelling to Antigonish to face the STFX X-Women.
Saint Mary's will have their home opener on October 12th when U de M Bleues Aigles come to town.