Reds take down Tommies in Game 1 of quarterfinals

(FREDERICTON, N.B.) The UNB Reds scored goals in the first and second periods en route to a 2-1 win over the reigning AUS champion St. Thomas Tommies, in Game 1 of the Subway AUS Women's Hockey Playoffs quarter-final series. 

Sage McElroy-Scott (Morden, Man.) and Marley Van Den Oetelaar scored for UNB, with McElroy-Scott earning Subway Player of the Game honours. 

"They gave me a lot of room to walk in there, and I took my shot," said McElroy-Scott, of her goal. "Their goalie is pretty small, so I shot high and worked out in my favour." 

McElroy-Scott's goal came after both teams traded a number of quality scoring chances. 

Tommies' goalie Caroline Pietroski (Etobicoke, Ont.) stopped a point-blank chance by Myah Bowal before Reds' keeper Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, B.C.) stoned Emily Oleksuk (Thunder Bay, Ont.) on a partial breakaway. 

Then, at 14:46 of the opening frame, McElroy-Scott took an Ashley Stratton (Mount Pearl, N.L.) feed in the slot and put a shot over Pietroski to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. 

Early in the second, with UNB working on the power-play, Van Den Oetelaar fired a wrist shot from just inside the blue line that found its way through a crowd and past Pietroski. 

Down 2-0 after 40 minutes, the Tommies roared to life in the third period. 

They came at the UNB defence in waves, and 2:23 in, Alex Woods (Courtice, Ont.) snuck into the slot and tapped a pass by Woodland. 

The Tommies came close to tying the score at 12:53 of the third, but Woodland saw the puck all the way into her pads. 

The reigning champs pulled Pietroski from the net with 2:22 to play, but couldn't capitalize with the extra attacker and the Reds emerged with the 2-1 victory. 

"If we play the first period like we played the second and third periods, I think that the result would've been different," said Woods. "But I think, overall, we're proud of this playoff game, especially with so many rookies playing their first playoff game." 

Despite the win, the Reds weren't completely satisfied. They know they need to be better if they hope to de-throne the Tommies. 

"We didn't play to our full potential," said McElroy-Scott. "We were a little shaky there. We struggled in our end a bit, were running around, but I think it just comes down to focus and I'm sure we'll be a lot better next game." 

"We have to play better," said Reds head coach Sarah Hilworth. "It's a different level and different intensity, and we're playing a team that won the whole thing last year, so we can't put out a performance like that and expect a different result. We have to be better." 

With the win, UNB leads the best-of-three series one game to none. 

Game 2 goes Saturday, at Fredericton's Grant-Harvey Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.

Source: Andy Campbell, UNB Athletics Communications