Larkin leads Tigers to win over Panthers

The Dalhousie Tigers defeated the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers 1-0 on Friday in Halifax.

The first period began with UPEI's Brooke Henderson taking the first shot at 1:03, which was saved by Dalhousie's goalie, Grace Beer. Dalhousie faced an early challenge when Emmerson Gormley received a two-minute penalty for tripping at 1:25, giving the Panthers a power play opportunity. However, Dalhousie's defense, led by Beer with multiple saves, kept the Panthers from capitalizing on the power play. The period's only goal came at 14:09, when Abby Larkin scored for Dalhousie, assisted by Casey Beisel, bringing the score to 1-0 in favor of Dalhousie. As the period concluded, Emma Robertson of Dalhousie was penalized for delay of game, setting the stage for another Panthers power play at the start of the next period.

The second period was marked by a series of missed shots and strong goaltending performances. Dalhousie's Grace Beer consistently thwarted the Panthers' attempts, making saves on every shot, including multiple efforts from Ruby Loughton between 8:28 and 8:38. Dalhousie's Jill Imeson and Leah MacSween were effective in faceoffs, contributing to their team's control of play. Despite numerous opportunities, neither team could capitalize, and the period ended with no goals scored, maintaining a 0-0 score.

The third period began with Dalhousie winning the initial faceoffs. The Panthers had a series of missed shots early in the period, with Anjali Simms missing twice within the first three minutes, and all saves were recorded by Grace Beer of Dalhousie. At 1:28, Hannah Robertson of Dalhousie received a two-minute penalty for hooking, but the Panthers could not capitalize on the ensuing power play. Later in the period, Sarah Fraser of the Panthers was penalized for holding at 12:05, resulting in a power play for Dalhousie, which also ended without a score. Throughout the period, Grace Beer consistently saved multiple missed shots from the Panthers, maintaining the stalemate, which resulted in no goals scored by either team in the third period.

Abby Larkin stood out for Dalhousie with a goal and a game-winning goal, achieved from her lone shot on target. Her performance also included a positive plus-minus rating of +1. Madison Wardle was effective in the faceoff circle, winning 11 of 14 attempts. Grace Beer excelled in the goaltender position, recording 39 saves in her start, maintaining a clean sheet with no goals against. Casey Beisel contributed with an assist and a plus-minus of +1, highlighting her defensive contributions.

Dalhousie holds an overall and conference record of 13-11-0. The Panthers have an overall and conference record of 9-15-0.