Tommies Eliminated from Playoff Contention

Fredericton, NB – The Université de Moncton Aigles Bleu punched their ticket into the AUS playoffs Wednesday night at the Grant-Harvey Centre, defeating the St. Thomas University Tommies 2-0. 

Emilie Lalancette (St. Andrews West, ON) scored the winning goal while Maritza Labrie (Saint-Quentin, NB) sealed the deal with an empty netter. Pascale Lebeau (Louiseville, QC), Cassandra Call (Navan, ON) and Isadora Quirion (Saint-Gedeon de Beauce, QC) all added assists. 

In a chippy game, it was a relatively slow start – both teams only registering two shots each in the first 10 minutes. The first period ended with Moncton leading in shots 9-4, despite the Tommies going on the powerplay in the later half of the first. 

The second period featured back-and-forth chances, as the Tommies desperately played for a chance at the AUS playoffs. STU goalie Caroline Pietroski (Etobicoke, ON) kept the game scoreless for the majority of the second period, making a sliding stop while on her back to keep the puck out of the net with six minutes left. It would take a Tommies' double-minor for Moncton to deliver the first goal of the game. Lalancette rifled one over Pietroski's glove with 54 seconds left in the period – proving to be enough to lift Moncton to a victory. 

The Tommies fought hard in the final period, finding second chances and scrambling in front of the Moncton net. But Annick Boudreau (Memramcook, NB) stopped all 20 Tommie shots for her third shutout this season – second against the Tommies. 

Quirion found the back of the empty net with two-minute left, eliminating the Tommies' from playoff contention. 

Pietroski made 28 saves for STU. 

Moncton moves to an 11-16-0 record with 22 points, guaranteeing a sixth-place finish. They'll see on the Saint Mary's University Huskies, a potential first-round matchup, at home Friday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00pm. 

The Tommies drop to an 8-17-2 record with 18 points, officially being eliminated from playoff contention. They'' host the Huskies Saturday night for their final game of the 2022-23 season.