Late goals give Tigers 4-2 win over UdeM

Game recap by: Kirk Jessome

(Halifax, NS) – In matinee women's hockey action, the Dalhousie Tigers played host to the UdeM Aigles Bleues at the Civic Arena. After struggling to put one past an outstanding goaltender for two periods, the Tigers exploded with three goals in three minutes and took the game 4-2.

Moncton was able to get the scoring started early in the first period. Six minutes in, Katherine Dubuc (Victoriaville, QC) exited the penalties box as her team was breaking into the zone. She received a pass along the left side, was given space, and fired a hard shot into the top corner to beat the glove of Fabiana Petricca (Woodbridge, ON).

The Tigers pressured midway through the period, with a power play giving them shots on goal, but Moncton goalie Grabrielle D. Forget (Joliette, QC) stood tall on each chance.

As the period was winding down, Moncton's Janie Poitras (Saint-André, NB) took a high shot from the faceoff circle that was snagged by Petricca with a flash of the glove to make the save.

Time expired in the first period with the early goal being the only one to put UdeM up 1-0.

The Tigers opened up the period second period on a power play and once again put plenty of shots toward the goal, but couldn't find the back of the net in the opening minutes.

The Tigers seemed to controlling the pace of play early in the second, generating quick scoring chances with an aggressive forecheck that forced turnovers in the Moncton zone. Shannen Grandy (Halifax, NS) got between two defenders coming into the attacking zone, but Forget got into a great position to get in front of the shot. Lisa MacLean (Inverness, NS) broke into the attacking zone and made a nice cut-back move around a defender, but her shot was stopped by the toe of Forget.

Moncton came back with pressure of their own, with long shots from the point generating scrambles in front of Petricca, but she was able to stay in front of the puck and cover it up each time.

Both teams trading scoring chances in the period, but neither side was able to come up with a goal in the second, as it went into the third with Moncton still leading 1-0.

The Tigers were finally able to solve the Forget puzzle early in the third period. On a strong forechecking play, Jesse Rietveld recovered a clearing attempt and made a move to the outside of a defender and set her shot into the side of the net to tie the game at 1-1.

The Tigers were able to put two more up on the board in quick fashion. On a power play opportunity, the Tigers showed strong positional play as they worked the puck around the outside of the zone looking for an opening. They found it when Danika Philips (Barrie, ON) made a fantastic cross-crease pass to find Tara Morning (Aurora, ON) open in front to hammer it home. Less than a minute later, the Tigers broke out of their own zone and Keana Oshowy (Woodbridge, ON) found a streaking Tyra Death (Grande Prairie, ON) who was able to tap it home to give the Tigers a quick 3-1 lead.

Moncton was able to strike back a few minutes later. Off of a clean faceoff win, Janelle Graham (Dieppe, NB) took a shot from the point that was blocked, but it fell to Samantha McLaughlin (Losier Settlement, NB) in front of the net, and she was able to put it over the shoulder of Petricca to bring Moncton within one. 

Time ran out on Moncton however when the Tigers were able to add an empty netter from Jesse Rietveld for her second of the game, earning her the Subway Player of the Game honor. The empty netter made it 4-2 for the Tigers as they took the victory.

The Tigers are back on the ice tomorrow as they host Mount Allison, while Moncton will travel to Antigonish to take on StFX.