Huskies top Tommies 5-4 in overtime

(FREDERICTON, N.B.) - The St. Thomas Tommies fell 5-4 in overtime to the St. Mary's Huskies in AUS women's hockey action Friday night at the Grant-Harvey Centre in front of 237 spectators.

Sarah Douglas, who tallied the overtime winner, had three points for the Huskies, while Lauren Henman and Becky Conner each had two points in a losing cause.

"We should have won it in regulation," Tommies head coach Peter Murphy said after the game. "In the end they had they extra attacker and that's who ends up getting it, but I think we had opportunities to get that puck out."

The Huskies opened the scoring at 7:33 when Caitlyn Manning finished a feed in front of the net. Conner responded for the Tommies on the power play at 12:18, finishing a cross-crease pass for her 11th goal of the season.

The Huskies doubled the Tommies' shots on goal in the frame, but STU netminder Abby Clarke stood tall between the pipes to keep the game knotted at 1-1 after 20 minutes.

The teams traded leads in the second—the Huskies grabbed a 2-1 advantage at 7:02 off a Breanna Lanceleve power play goal, but Henman responded for the Tommies with a back-hand power play goal to tie the game, 2-2.

The Tommies took the lead at 15:59 when Samantha Squires profited off a scramble in front of SMU goaltender Justine McIntosh. Less than two minutes later, the Huskies responded after Nicole Blanche tipped in a rebound to even the score at 3-3 heading into the third.

Henman netted her second of the game with less than two minutes to go to put the Tommies up 4-3, but the Huskies pulled McIntosh for the extra attacker and Mary Wordnl capitalized to force overtime.

Douglas buried the game winner with just 38 seconds left in the extra frame, securing two points for the Huskies who move into third place in the AUS with a record of 10-10-2.

"We're moving towards where we want to be," Murphy said of the loss. "We didn't do very well in the first, but we did better in the second and in the third we were better again. We have some light at the end of the tunnel."

The Tommies, who sit one point behind the Huskies, fell to fourth place with a record of 9-9-4.

"Lately everyone's been going to overtime, so even if you lose you get a point. The standings are getting that much closer," Murphy said.

The Tommies are back in action Wednesday when they face the Mount Allison Mounties in Sackville, while the Huskies take on the Mounties Jan. 31. 

Source: St. Thomas Sports Communications