(ANTIGONISH, NS) The U SPORTS No. 6 ranked St FX X-Women defeated the UNB Reds 2-0 on Friday night.
The first period saw both teams held scoreless, although the X-Women had a 12-6 edge in shots and generated a few key scoring chances. Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC) held her ground in the Reds net, and thanked her goal post when X-Women forward Lea MacLeod (Dartmouth, NS) dinged one off the pipe on a late period power-play opportunity.
The X-Women went on the man-advantage again in the opening minute of the second period, and despite four shots on goal could not solve Woodland.
The goose egg was finally broken when Kristen McKinley (Rothesay, NB) scored for X with 3:40 left in the second period. Defender Emma Thomas (Red Deer, AB) fed a long pass up the side that McKinley took from just outside the blue line, then went in and beat Woodland high, giving the home team a 1-0 lead.
The X-Women outnumbered the Reds in scoring chances in the third period and took a 2-0 lead when Santana Gravelle (Lumsden, AB) scored a power-play goal just over seven minutes in. Lindsey Donovan (Miramichi, NB) kept the puck in the Reds zone then found Gravelle on the point who unleashed a low shot that beat Woodland on the short side.
The Reds best scoring chance came with just over two minutes left in the period, off consecutive shots by Hanna Matchett (Nanton, AB) and Ashley Stratton (Mount Pearl, NL), but X netminder Carley Molnar (London, ON) held them off.
UNB pulled Woodland in favour of the extra attacker with 39 seconds left, but time ran out on the visitors and X hung on for the victory.
St FX outshot UNB 35-17, with goaltenders Molnar and Woodland earning third and second stars respectively.
McKinley was the first star and Subway Player of the Game, her second period goal holding up as the game winner.
The Reds are back on the ice Saturday night, in Halifax, against the Dal Tigers. Game time is 7:00pm.
The X-Women host Moncton on Sunday.
RECAP: Krista McKenna/St FX Communications
PHOTOS: Kendra Vigneau/for St FX Communications