Reds Edge Huskies In OT

(FREDERICTON, NB) Julia Spitzig (Kitchener, ON) scored two goals, including the overtime winner, as the UNB Reds defeated the Saint Mary's Huskies 3-2 on Friday.

The Reds improve to 3-and-4 with their third straight win while Saint Mary's drops to 5-and-2.

"It's nice to beat a nationally-ranked team," said Reds head coach Sarah HIlworth. "I think the girls were super motivated coming in after last weekend and having that success. I know they were really chomping at the bit to get back at it and we executed almost to a tee."

The Reds came out of the gate with a strong defensive game, putting lots of pressure on the Huskies and spending most of the first period in the offensive zone.

UNB played some of their most organized hockey in the first period, outshooting Saint Mary's with a strong forecheck. However, the game remained scoreless at first intermission.

The Reds would have another strong start and got rewarded just 1:31 into the second period. Ashley Stratton (Mount Pearl, NL) put a sharp angled shot on net from the corner that somehow slipped past Huskies goaltender Rebecca Clark (Keswick, ON) to make it 1-0 Reds.

Myah Bowal (Terrace, BC) would find Spitzig just 2:19 later and she roofed a shot from the slot, bar down, to put the Reds up 2-0.

Miranda Hatt (Eastern Passage, NS) would get a short-handed goal for the Huskies with just over a minute left in the period to cut the Reds lead to 2-1 heading to the third.

That late goal would build momentum for Saint Mary's and Siobhan Birch (Mississauga, ON) would tie the game for the Huskies at the 2:14 mark.

The Reds would not respond in what was a strong period for the Huskies and the game would head to overtime.

At 4:12 of overtime, Spitzig deked past two Huskies skaters and ripped a shot past Clarke to give the Reds the win.

"I think I was just trying to end it as quick as we could," said Spitzig. "Definitely letting them get back in it with two goals isn't ideal but it think the team definitely rallied and I just wanted to put the puck on net and try to create something, so I was happy it went in."

Spitzig was named Subway Player of the Game.

Shots were 32-25 for the Huskies in the game.

Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC) made 30 saves in another strong showing for the Reds, while Clark had 22 saves for the Huskies.

The Reds next game is at home against the Dalhousie Tigers on Sunday. Game time is 2:00pm

The Huskies remain in Fredericton for a Saturday matchup with the St. Thomas Tommies.

RECAP BY: Jonathon James/for UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics