Tommies Weekend Recap Feb 17-22
Three St. Thomas University squads were in action this past weekend as the push for the post-season intensified. It was a historic weekend for the women's hockey program in the AUS playoffs, while the basketball teams traveled to Halifax to face off against the MSVU Mystics.
Women's Hockey Tommies sweep AUS Quarterfinals
STU’s Women’s Hockey team enjoyed a perfect start to their post-season, securing a dominant sweep over the Moncton Aigles Bleues in their best-of-three AUS quarterfinal matchup. The series opened on February 17th at the Grant-Harvey Centre, where the Tommies protected home ice with a 3-2 victory. Megan Kirkpatrick proved to be the hero in the opener, netting a clutch short-handed goal in the third period to seal the win.
The Tommies officially punched their ticket to the semifinals on February 20th in one of the longest games in program history. In a marathon battle in Moncton that lasted nearly 118 minutes, STU emerged with a 2-1 victory in triple overtime. Carys Cross ended the game at the 17:54 mark of the third overtime period. Goaltender Katie Sweeney was the backbone of the sweep, making 40 saves in the clinching game and allowing only three goals across the entire series.
Tommies women’s basketball sweeps road trip to Halifax
The Women's Basketball team (17-1) continued their dominant season by taking both games against the MSVU Mystics. In Saturday's opener, the Tommies ground out a 65-60 win in a back-and-forth affair. Katie Vidito and Paige Leblanc led the charge offensively, each recording 15 points to keep STU ahead.
The momentum carried into Sunday as the Tommies completed the weekend sweep with a 58-48 victory. Claudia Steeves was a force for the Green and Gold, leading all scorers with 16 points and adding 8 rebounds. Paige Leblanc remained a model of consistency, contributing another 15 points. The Tommies defense was the story of the weekend, holding the Mystics under 50 points in the second half of the series to maintain their spot at the top of the standings.
Men’s Squad falls in tough road series
The Men's Basketball team (14-4) faced a difficult road test this weekend, dropping two games to a hot-shooting MSVU squad. On Saturday, the Tommies struggled to find their rhythm in a 94-68 loss. Despite the result, Vincent Lyttleton paced the team with 15 points, while Jeven Eddy recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Sunday’s rematch saw a more resilient Tommies performance, but the team ultimately fell short in an 80-68 defeat. Jeven Eddy led the way once again, putting up a team-high 19 points and 8 rebounds. Marcus Wilson and Caleb Scholten each added 12 points in the effort. The Tommies will look to regain their footing as they head into the semifinals of ACAA championships on March 7th.
What’s on tap for next weekend
It is a massive week for the Green and Gold as post-season play begins across multiple programs. The Tommies will look to make deep runs in the playoffs, with several championship opportunities on the horizon.
The Women's Hockey team is set to kick off a high-stakes AUS semifinal series against their cross-campus rivals, the UNB Reds. The best-of-five series begins on the road with Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday, February 25th at 7:00 PM, followed quickly by Game 2 on Thursday, February 26th at 7:00 PM, both at the Aitken University Centre.
The series then shifts to the Tommies home ice at the Grant-Harvey Centre for Game 3 on Sunday, March 1st at 7:00 PM. If necessary, Game 4 will also be held at the Grant-Harvey Centre on Monday, March 2nd at 7:00 PM. Should the series go the distance, a deciding Game 5 would return to UNB on Wednesday, March 4th at 7:00 PM.
The post-season also arrives for our volleyball programs as St. Thomas University prepares to host the ACAA Volleyball Championships at the LB Gym. From February 27th to March 1st, the men’s and women’s teams will look to capitalize on home-court advantage in their pursuit of conference titles.
Fans are encouraged to come out and support the Tommies throughout the weekend. For a full schedule of games and more information on when your Tommies take the court, please visit the official ACAA website.
Written By: Brady Chapman