Huskies down Panthers 6-3 to advance to Subway AUS semi-final series

(HALIFAX, N.S.) - Nicole Blanche (Dunville, N.L.) had two goals as the Saint Mary's Huskies defeated the UPEI Panthers 6-3 in the third and deciding game of their AUS quarter-finals series Saturday night at Alumni Arena.

Blanche's big game earned her Subway player of the game honours.

The Huskies got on the board first when Caitlyn Manning (Cambridge, Ont.) scored a shorthanded goal at 6:58 to make it 1-0.

Saint Mary's doubled their lead when Blanche scored her first goal, another shorthanded marker at 12:30 to make the score 2-0.

The Panthers responded when Olivia Doughart (Summerside, P.E.I.) scored on the power play at 14:49 to cut the lead to 2-1 after the first period.

In the second, the Huskies regained a two-goal lead when Gemma MacDonald (Blooming Point, P.E.I.) allied at 1:06 to make it 3-1.

Saint Mary's extended their lead once again, when Blanche got her second of the night at 19:08 to make the score 4-1 after two periods. 

Third period action saw the Panthers get closer when Laura Bradley (Morell, P.E.I.) potted a marker at 0:53 to cut the deficit to 4-2.

The Panthers got to within one when Keirsten Visser (Crapaud, P.E.I.) scored at 10:15 to make it 4-3.

The Huskies regained momentum when Laura Polak (Bedford, N.S.) tallied at 11:42 to make it a multiple goal lead again at 5-3. 

Saint Mary's iced the game when Breanna Lanceleve (Middle Sackville, N.S.) scored an empty net goal at 19:30 to make the score 6-3.

The Huskies outshot the Panthers 27-22. Justine McIntosh (East St. Paul, Man.) made 19 saves to get the win in net for the Huskies and Marie-Soleil Deschenes (Ile-Perrot, Que.) stopped 21 shots for the Panthers.

The Huskies will now face the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues, who got a bye through the quarterfinals, in the Subway AUS semi-final series. Dates and times for the series have yet to be announced.

Source: Mark Moffat for Saint Mary's Sports Communications