The St. Thomas Tommies scored a pair of goals 67 seconds apart as part of a three goal second period blitz and rolled to a 6-4 victory over the visiting Université. de Moncton Aigles Bleues in Atlantic University Sport women's hockey action Saturday at the Grant-Harvey Centre.
Third-year centre Natalie MacKay scored a pair of goals and set up another to lead the attack as the Tommies won their fourth straight game and improved to 5-1 on the season overall.
"It was a lot of fun," MacKay said afterward. "It just all came together today…we worked our hardest and came out with the win."
UdeM fell to 4-3 on the season with the loss.
Thalia Mallaley, Lauren Smith, captain Ekatarina Pelowich and veteran Jacey Dane had the other Tommies' tallies.
Erica Plourde had a pair of goals for Moncton. Liane Desforges and Isadora Quirion had the others past Tommies goaltender Katie Sweeney, who made 29 saves. Audrey Berthiaume made 37 saves in the Moncton net.
The Tommies opened the scoring on Malaley's first of the season on a give-and-go with MacKay. She dished to MacKay on the right wing and went to the net, redirecting MacKay's return pass past Berthiaume at 9:43.
Les Aigles Bleus answered with a goal by Desforges which bounced over Sweeney's shoulder with just 15 seconds left in the period to tie it up 1-1 after one.
But the Tommies took command in the second.
Smith restored the Tommies' advantage 3:20 into the second with a spin around shot from the right circle that beat Berthiame top corner at 3:20 ,and MacKay struck from a scramble 67 seconds later, burying the rebound of defender Aislynn Byers' point shot.
"It's a breakthrough to the start of the season for me, and I've got to keep it rolling," said MacKay, who had three goals in 27 games for the Tommies a year ago.
Pelowich, the Player of the week in U Sports women's hockey a week ago, clicked from the slot to make it 4-1 just past the midway point of the period.
The teams traded third period tallies, Moncton closing the gap to 4-2 on Qurion's marker and pressing to close the gap before MacKay scored shorthanded to restore the three goal edge.
UdeM kept pressing and were granted an extended 5-on-3 power play for 1:01. Plourde converted early and pulled goaltender Berthiaume with six minutes left to try to get within one. But Dane hit the empty net with the Tommies' second shorthanded goal of the period to clinch the win.
"We're learning to finish off games this year," said MacKay. "I knew that we had it in the bag." The Tommies won eight games all last season and missed the AUS playoffs for the first time in 20 years. At 5-1 on the season, they're tied for second place in the standings as they travel to Charlottetown to face the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers Sunday. They return home to host the league-leading University of New Brunswick Reds Wednesday night.
"We're having so much fun, I think that's a big part of it," said MacKay. "We're all good friends. The energy is above and beyond. It's awesome."
Recap written by Bill Hunt
Photo by Shawn Murphy (SRM Photography)
