Clark’s shutout and Lanceleve’s four-points lead Huskies over Tommies 4-0

(Halifax, NS) The Saint Mary's University Huskies came up with a 4-0 win over the St. Thomas University Tommies on Saturday at Alumni Arena in Halifax NS.

The win gives the Huskies a 14-1-3 record, while the Tommies drop to 15-2-1. The teams are tied for first place in the AUS with 31-points each. The Huskies hold a 2-1 advantage in the head-to-head matchup, with one game left to play in the regular season series.

Rebecca Clark (Keswick, ON) made 24 saves in the shutout win. Her record is now 10-1-3.

Breanna Lanceleve (Middle Sackville,  NS) (5) had a goal and three assists for a four-point game. Caitlin Manning (Cambridge, ON) (11) added a goal and two assists, while Nicole Blanche (Dunville ,NF)(5, 6) netted two goals.

Taylor Cook (Brantford, ON) made 33 saves for the Tommies, as her record falls to 8-2.

The Tommies came out flying in the first and threw a ton of quality rubber on Clark in an early power play but could not find a way to beat the Huskies goalie.

Manning opened the scoring with 2:15 left in the first. Beatrice Harrietha (Guelph, ON) sent a cross ice pass from her own blue line off the left wing boards that Lanceleve played at centre ice.  She quickly chipped it off the wall again perfectly into the left circle in the Tommies zone.  Manning skated onto the puck and then ripped her shot from just inside the dot over the pad and under the glove for the 1-0 goal.

Much like the start of the first the Tommies controlled the play at the start of the second but again Clark came up with several big saves to keep them off the board.

Lanceleve made it 2-0 11:39 into the second. With a great solo effort she won a puck battle on the right wall in the Tommies zone and worked towards the slot.  Falling to her knees from the right hash marks, she lifted a shot top shelf glove side for a beaut of a goal.

Blanche's first came 6:24 into the third. Manning carried through the neutral zone and dished off to Lanceleve on the left wing as she entered the Tommies zone.  Lanceleve then went wide and from the bottom of the circle sent a cross crease pass on the tape of Blanche for a tap in at the back post.

Blanche got her second at the 11:49 mark of the third to seal the win for the Huskies. Manning made a short pass to Lanceleve as she moved through the bottom of the left circle towards the net and Lanceleve one touched it to Blanche in front.  Blanche showed off some filthy mitts making a shifty move to her backhand and sliding it home to make it 4-0.

Shots were 37-24 for the Huskies as they pulled away late outshooting the Tommies 11-3 in the third.

Up Next:

The Tommies travel to Antigonish NS to face the StFX X-Women, while the Huskies host their crosstown rival Dalhousie Tigers at Alumni Arena in Halifax NS, both games are on Sunday, January 22.  Sunday's game is the annual "pink in the rink" fundraiser for breast cancer research.

By Cam Honey-Webb

Photo Nick Pearce