Reds Win 'Battle of the Hill' Game

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Reds scored early and often in a 5-1 win over the St. Thomas Tommies, on Wednesday night.

Frederike Cyr (Candiac, QC) and Lily George (Garden Village, ON) each had a goal and an assist in the win. Cyr was named the Subway Player of the Game.

"We wanted to win to tie the series, the Battle of the Hill, and it came down to everyone was prepared for this game," said Cyr. "It was a team effort. Everyone played awesome, everyone executed the game plan that we had."

The Reds were quick to open the scoring.

Just 1:56 in, Cyr broke down the left wing, stepped into the slot and fired a wrist shot past Tommies' goalie Caroline Pietroski (Etobicoke, ON), giving the home team a 1-0 lead.

"That was just what we needed to push forward for the rest of the game. You could tell it shook them," said Cyr.

The Reds doubled the lead at 13:17 of the first period.

With UNB working the power-play, Hanna Matchett (Nanton, AB) found a loose puck in front and put it past Pietroski.

UNB had a glorious chance to go up 3-0 about three minutes into the second period.

George broke in all alone, but couldn't beat Pietroski.

Two minutes later, George found herself on another breakaway and converted, putting the Reds up by three, and prompting a Tommies goaltending change. Marandee Hunter (Chatham, ON) took over for Pietroski. 

That did little to slow the Reds.

At 7:38, UNB captain Sydney DesRochers (Woodstock, NB) took a pass from Paige Grenier (Olds, AB) in the slot and fired a wrist shot high over Hunter's right shoulder, as the Reds went up 4-0.

The Tommies were finally able to solve Reds netminder Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC) at 6:28 of the third.

Mariah Carey (Avonport, NS) one-timed a pass from the side of the net to make it a 4-1 game.

"I thought that once we got that goal, it brought our energy up, for sure," said Carey. "But it's hard to come back from that. We tried hard in the third."

Tamina Kehler (Chilliwack, BC) scored into an empty net with less than two minutes remaining, making the final score 5-1.

"We let go a bit, early, and we just didn't bounce back like we need to," said Carey. "It doesn't matter what team we're playing. We need to find a way to bounce back."

The Tommies, now 10-10-and-1, head to Charlottetown on Saturday to face the UPEI Panthers.

The Reds, now 13-and-8, host the league-leading Saint Mary's Huskies on Sunday. Game time is 3:00pm.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics