Demale, Scully lead Huskies to 4-2 win over Panthers

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - Forward Shae Demale (Red Deer, AB) scored twice and goaltender Sophie Scully (Ottawa, ON) made 19 saves as the Saint Mary's Huskies bounced back into the win column with a 4-2 win over the UPEI Panthers on Friday night in Charlottetown.

"It was about keeping things different," Demale said of the approach to tonight's game. "We had to keep our play safe and smart, while working as a team and getting it done together."

After a scoreless first period where the Huskies (4-3-0) outshot the Panthers 12-4, the road team finally broke through at the 8:22 mark in the second period. Ellen Laurence (Kentville, NS) grabbed the puck at centre ice and had partial two-on-one break, in which she kept it and got off a shot. Panthers goaltender Shaylin McFarlane (Miramichi, NB) made the initial save, but Demale was able to bat the puck out of mid-air, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead.

HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ��

Shae Demale finishes off the rebound for her @AUS_SUA leading eight goal of the season to give @smuhuskieswh a 1-0 lead in the second period.

��S. Demale (8)
��E. Laurence
��K. MacLean pic.twitter.com/JnLx2O7CHI

— SMU Huskies (@SMUHuskies) October 28, 2022

"I thought we just had to drive the net hard and we all knew we had to do that if we were going to win today," said Demale.

At the 12:12 mark in the second period Aimee O'Neill (Glace Bay, NS) gave the Huskies a 2-0 lead after she was left open in the slot and made no mistake about it.

The Panthers would get one back in the second period to cut the deficit to one at 16:08. Fourth-year forward Taylor Gillis (Summerside, PEI) got a lucky redirect off a Huskie defender that found the back of the net.

The momentum had swung by the end of the second and when the third period started the Panthers came out flying. 5:04 into the period Lexie Murphy (Kensington, PEI) tied the game at 2-2 after she came streaking down in front of the Huskies net, getting a beautiful pass from Gillis before burying the shot.

Minutes later, the Huskies came roaring back on the power play. This time it was Miranda Hatt (Regina, SK) getting in on the action to put the Huskies back up by one.

HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ��

Some beautiful passing on the powerplay leads to a Miranda Hatt goal and @smuhuskieswh take a 3-2 lead in the third period.

��M. Hatt (3)
��E. Laurence
��M. Corbett pic.twitter.com/2EaShxSIyz

— SMU Huskies (@SMUHuskies) October 29, 2022

Then with only two minutes left in the game, the Huskies took a penalty and the Panthers were awarded a penalty shot. Second-year forward McKinley Nelson (Calgary, AB) had her number called after coming off her first AUS hat trick last weekend against Dalhousie. Nelson went right and then went back to her left trying to beat Huskie goalie Sophie Scully (Ottawa, ON) to the post but wasn't able to do it as Scully came out on top.

HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ��

First year goaltender Sophie Scully stops a penalty shot late in the third period to preserve the @smuhuskieswh lead! pic.twitter.com/XNQ26pGgJ4

— SMU Huskies (@SMUHuskies) October 29, 2022

Demale would score her second of the game on an empty netter to seal the Huskies road win. The fourth year forward was named Subway Player of the Game, and leads the conference with nine goals scored through seven games.

The Huskies (4-3) will host STFX next Wednesday, November 2^nd, while the Panthers (4-3) are back on home ice tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. try and split the weekend against St. Thomas.

Recap by Justin Arenburg / UPEI Panthers Athletics
Photos by Janessa Hogan / UPEI Panthers Athletics