Mounties Open 2nd Half With Two Win Weekend

The Mount Allison Hockey Mounties played two of their best games of the season on the weekend and were rewarded with victories over UPEI and StFX.  The Mounties defeated UPEI 4-1 in Charlottetown on Saturday afternoon and then on Sunday afternoon in the Tantramar Civic Centre recorded an exciting come from behind 4-3 victory over defending AUS champion StFX.

On Saturday the Mounties came out flying and outshot the Panthers 8-3 over the first 20 minutes. Jen Dillon, returning to the lineup from a hand injury, had the only goal of the period. PEI regrouped and took it to the Mounties in the first 10 minutes of the second and scored late on a power play at 8:40 to make it 1-1. Four minutes later senior Kara Anthony converted on a partial breakaway to give the Mounties a 2-1 lead after the second period. In the third rookie Heather Richards scored her sixth goal of the season in her sixth consecutive game to extend the lead to 3-1. Linemates Anthony and Volcko assisted on the power play goal.  Samantha Bujold closed out the scoring with an open net goal in the last minute of play with assists from Rosie Heffernan and Kelsey Taylor. Mount A outshot UPEI 35-25 and Keri Martin was once again stellar in goal for the Mounties.

On Sunday afternoon the X-Women scored goals in the first and last minute of the first period to lead 2-0 after 20 minutes. But the resilient Mounties came out firing on all cylinders in the second period and scored three consecutive goals to take a 3-2 lead to the dressing room after the second period. Captain MacKenzie Lalonde scored the first two goals and Kara Anthony the third converting a great pass from Amanda Volcko. Shelby Colton assisted on both of Lalonde's goals while Samantha Bujold had a single assist. The Mounties outshot X 14-7 in the period. X tied it at 3-3 the twelve second mark of the third.  Junior Jennifer Bell scored a great unassisted goal midway through the third to once again give the Mounties a lead. Bell beat off an X defender, drove to the net, and snapped a twenty foot shot past the X goalie. The rest of the game featured end to end action. X outshot the Mounties 30-25 and once again Martin was solid in net, especially in the third period.

The Mounties are now in fifth place in the league, trailing X by a point and leading Dalhousie by a point. They will spend this week preparing for two weekend home games. On Saturday afternoon University de Moncton will be the visitor with a 1:15 pm start. On Sunday STU will be in town and that game is scheduled to start at 2:15 pm.