Tigers fall to Aigles Bleues in quarter-finals

The Moncton Aigles Bleues defeated the Dalhousie Tigers 3-2 in overtime on Sunday to clinch the quarter-final series.

The first period of the game between Dalhousie and Moncton remained scoreless, with both teams exhibiting a strong defensive performance. Dalhousie's Leah MacSween was active offensively, managing five shots on goal, all of which were saved by Moncton's goalie, Annick Boudreau. The Aigles Bleues' Shani Rossignol also had multiple attempts early in the period, but all were stopped by Dalhousie goalie Grace Beer by the 11:35 mark. Faceoffs were closely contested, with Moncton winning a majority, particularly with Maritza Labrie and Erica Plourde frequently outmaneuvering their opponents.

The second period began with Moncton securing an early advantage in faceoffs, with Erica Plourde winning against Madison Wardle at 00:19. Dalhousie responded with a series of shots by Leah MacSween, Mollie Power, and Emma Penner, but all were saved by Moncton's Annick Boudreau. At 04:35, Moncton's Amelie Vachon received a penalty for hooking, giving Dalhousie a power play opportunity which they capitalized on at 05:50 with a goal by Emma Robertson, assisted by Leah MacSween and Mollie Power. Later, at 11:07, Leah MacSween scored with assists from Emma Silvernagle and Emma Penner, extending Dalhousie's lead. Moncton narrowed the gap with a power play goal by Maritza Labrie at 16:55, assisted by Shani Rossignol and Arianne Roy, concluding the period with Dalhousie leading 2-1.

The third period began with Dalhousie winning the initial faceoff, followed by a penalty on Avery Holmes for tripping at 1:26, giving Moncton a power play opportunity. Despite multiple shots by the Aigles Bleues, Grace Beer successfully saved each attempt, and the power play ended without any score change. Dalhousie then had their own power play starting at 7:11 due to a penalty on Moncton for too many players on the ice, but they too were unable to capitalize. At 16:37, Moncton's Maritza Labrie scored the only goal of the period, marking her first goal of the season and equalizing the game at 2-2. The period concluded with another tripping penalty on Avery Holmes, but Dalhousie managed to prevent any further scoring by Moncton before the period ended.

The overtime period between Dalhousie and Moncton began with a faceoff between Maritza Labrie and Emma Bishop, which was won by Dalhousie. Moncton quickly responded by winning the next faceoff. Dalhousie's Grace Beer made crucial saves on two consecutive missed shots by Moncton's Erica Plourde and Laura Tremblay shortly after the period's start. A penalty by Avery Holmes concluded at 1:17, ending Moncton's power play. The decisive moment came at 5:13 when Moncton's Laura Tremblay scored the winning goal, assisted by Maritza Labrie, securing a 3-2 victory for Moncton.

Leah MacSween led the Tigers with a goal and an assist in the loss. Goalie Grace Beer made 29 saves in the loss.

The win means Moncton clinches the quarter-final series 2-0, eliminating the Tigers from the playoffs.