Tommies Rally Past Reds
STU scores winner with 30s to play
(FREDERICTON, NB) The St. Thomas Tommies scored twice in the final three minutes to beat the UNB Reds 2-1 on Wednesday, at Fredericton's Grant-Harvey Centre.
Alex Woods' (Courtice, ON) power-play goal, with 30 seconds left on the clock, was the winner. Woods was named the Subway Player of the Game.
"That's a tough one," said Reds defender Jenna MacLean (Wilcox, SK). "I thought we stared strong and played well. It was tough to have those bad bounces at the end of the game."
The Reds dominated much of the play in the first period, but were outshot by the home team.
The best scoring opportunity for either team came mid-way through the frame, when MacLean broke down the wing and cut across the crease. Tommies netminder Caroline Pietroski (Etobicoke, ON) did enough to keep the puck out of the net.
With the Tommies putting all kinds of pressure on UNB to begin the second period, the Reds caught a break.
Lily George (Garden Village, ON) fired a shot from a sharp angle that beat Pietroski and gave the visitors a 1-0 lead. The goal came on the Reds' first shot of the second period.
About eight minutes into the third, STU's Olivia Reid (Aurora, ON) had two chances in front of the UNB net, but Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC) was able to hold the line.
Then, off a scramble in front of the UNB net, and with just 2:50 to play, Lauren Legault (Winnipeg, MB) managed to shovel the puck past Woodland to tie the score 1-1.
Woods' goal followed in the final minute.
"We can't score," said Reds head coach Sarah Hilworth. "We're getting opportunities and we're burying it right into the goalie, we're hitting crossbars. We're just not focused. We need to bear down on our opportunities and we have to start playing like a team in that sense of when we get an opportunity to score, we have to put it in the net."
"We've been all over teams in the last three games and we can't find a way to bury pucks," she said.
The Tommies outshot the Reds 31-27.
"We couldn't seem to buy a goal," said MacLean. "Their goalie played well. It seems to be happening lots lately, we're outshooting teams, but we can't score. We have to find a way to put the puck in the net."
The Reds, now 10-and-7, will finish the first half of the season on Sunday, when they travel to Sackville to take on the Mount Allison Mounties. Game time is 7:00pm.
The Tommies improve to 9-and-8 and host the Saint Mary's Huskies on Friday.
RECAP AND PHOTOS BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics