Small leads TIgers to win

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Dalhousie secured a 3-2 shootout victory against St. Thomas at Halifax Forum on Saturday night. 

Dalhousie started strong in the first period with consistent offensive pressure. Despite missing several attempts, they capitalized on a power play opportunity when Lexie Small, who was later named the player of the game, scored at 6:29 with assists from Emma Penner and Natasha Falk, marking her first goal of the season. The Tommies had multiple opportunities to respond but failed to convert, with Grace Beer making key saves to maintain the shutout. Dalhousie led 1-0 at the end of the period, aided by effective faceoff wins and a solid defensive effort.

St. Thomas opened the scoring in the second period with a power-play goal from Nadia Lavoie at 6:15, assisted by Megan Kirkpatrick and Amy Dvernichuk. Dalhousie quickly responded less than two minutes later when Small found the back of the net at 7:51, assisted by Penner and Falk. The period saw Dalhousie consistently winning faceoffs, which contributed to their ability to maintain pressure on the Tommies. Despite numerous shot attempts from both sides, the goaltenders, Beer for Dalhousie and Chloe Marshall for St. Thomas, were effective in keeping additional goals off the board, maintaining a 2-1 lead for Dalhousie at the end of the period.

In a tightly contested third period, the Tommies capitalized on a power play opportunity when Kirkpatrick scored at 10:09, assisted by Amber Daley and Tahlia Mallaley. The goal marked Kirkpatrick's sixth of the season and broke the deadlock. Dalhousie had several scoring chances, including multiple shots by Leah MacSween, but St. Thomas goaltender Marshall was effective in maintaining the lead. Despite Dalhousie's efforts, the period ended with the visitors holding a narrow 2-1 advantage in the period score, resulting in a 2-2 draw.

In a tense overtime period could not solve the result. The period saw multiple missed opportunities for both teams, with Beer making crucial saves on shots from Trinity Webber and Daley early in the frame. Dalhousie's Abby Larkin and Avery Holmes each had attempts on goal, both denied by Marshall. 

Dalhousie's Abby Larkin was the only player to score in the shootout, secruing the victory for the Tigers. 

Lexie Small led the team by scoring two goals from three shots. Emma Penner contributed significantly with two assists and won 16 of 23 faceoffs. Natasha Falk also added to the team's success with two assists while maintaining a plus-minus of +2. In goal, Grace Beer made 32 saves, allowing just two goals in her appearance.

The Tigers hit the road on Friday, heading to PEI to battle the Panthers.