Tommies Edge Reds

(FREDERICTON, NB) The St. Thomas Tommies scored mid-way through the third period to beat the UNB Reds 2-1, Wednesday night.

Emily Oleksuk (Thunder Bay, ON) beat Reds goalie Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC) from in close, at 8:43 of the final period.

"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and snuck it by," said the fifth-year forward. "It feels good, for sure."

Caroline Pietroski (Etobicoke, ON) turned aside all but one of the 29 shots she faced in the Tommies' net and was named Subway Player of the Game.

"I felt pretty good out there," said Pietroski. "My defence were doing a pretty good job moving everyone in front and getting me a clean lane to see the puck, so that was helpful."

The visitors opened the scoring early.

Kaylee Vader (Sherwood Park, AB) came out of the corner and managed to push the puck past Woodland just 5:16 into the first period.

But the Reds refused to let that goal get them down.

Just before the mid-way point of the period, there was a flurry of Reds activity in the Tommies zone.

It began with Alanya Wagstaff (Olds, AB) and Marley Van Den Oetelaar (Whitby, ON) going in two-on-one, only to be denied by Pietroski.

Wagstaff regained possession of the puck and fed a pass to Emma Borbandy (Langdon, AB), in the slot, who rang her shot off the post.

In another moment of pressure, Sage McElroy-Scott (Morden, MB) evened the score when she stuffed home a rebound at 14:57 of the first.

The second period saw both teams trade chances.

Just past ten minute mark, Tamina Kehler (Chilliwack, BC) skated in alone, tried to go stick side on Pietroski, but was denied.

McElroy-Scott hit the crossbar with a shot with under five minutes to play, and with less than a minute on the clock, Tommies' forward Lauren Legault (Winnipeg, MB) raced in on Woodland uncontested, but fired a shot just wide of the UNB net.

The action settled somewhat in third.

Oleksuk scored and the Tommies had another chance almost immediately after.

With the home team on the power-play, STU's Alexandra Woods (Courtice, ON) forced a turnover at her own blue line and broke in alone on Woodland, but couldn't score.

UNB pulled Woodland with 30 seconds to play, but was unable to capitalize with the extra attacker.

"It stings because we didn't play well," said Reds head coach Sarah Hilworth. "We came in and thought that things were going to happen and it didn't, at all. We had opportunities to put the puck in the net, but we didn't execute, we didn't focus, we just didn't finish plays."

St. Thomas improves to 3-4 with the win, while the Reds are now 4-3.

Up next for the Tommies, a Saturday home game against UPEI. That's scheduled for a 7:00pm start.

The Reds host the Mount Allison Mounties on Sunday afternoon. The opening face-off is at 3:00pm.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics