Stingers 5, X-Women 2: Concordia advances to national semifinals
A back-and-forth second period paved the way for a Stingers victory
The Concordia University women’s hockey team kicked off its run in the U Sports Women's Hockey Championship with a win, topping the St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) X-Women by a score of 5-2 on March 20.
While the first period lacked goals, it set the tone for the game to come. Both teams killed early penalties, and the early hits prepared the teams for a barnburner of a game to come.
In the second period, the X-Women shot out of the tunnel on fire. StFX defender Mackenzie Lothian smacked a point shot through a crowd and over the blocker of Stingers goaltender Jordyn Verbeek to take the lead two minutes in.
When Stingers defender Béatrice Caron went to the box a minute later, the X-Women needed just 20 seconds on the advantage, as defender Terryn Mozes received a cross-ice pass from Lothian and fired in the second goal.
But Concordia quickly reminded StFX who the defending national champs are. Winger Jessymaude Drapeau, fresh off a nomination to the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) all-star team, chipped the puck over the pad of StFX goaltender Bianca Zak to halve the deficit. Defenders Leonie Philbert and Ani Robinson combined to assist forward Megan Bureau-Gagnon’s wrap-around to tie the game, 2-2.
Philbert picked up her second assist on Drapeau’s second goal to pull Concordia ahead on the power play. Robinson also nabbed a pair of helpers, with her second setting up a gorgeous solo move by Drapeau to secure the latter’s hat trick. When the dust settled at the buzzer, the Stingers had turned an early 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 advantage.
RSEQ MVP Émilie Lussier provided the nail in the coffin in the third period, finishing backhand on a 2-on-1 with Drapeau. Overall, the X-Women outshot the Stingers 32-27, but Verbeek rebounded from her two early slips to finish with 30 saves and the win.
Fifth-seeded Concordia continues its run in the national semifinals on Saturday, March 22. The Stingers will take on the hosts, the eighth-seeded University of Waterloo. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Waterloo, Ontario.
