Stratton's OT Goal Gives Reds 2-1 Win

(MONCTON, NB) Ashley Stratton (Mount Pearl, NL) scored mid-way through the third period and again in overtime to give the UNB Reds a 2-1 win over les Aigles Bleues, in Moncton, on Saturday afternoon.

The game was originally scheduled for Friday, but was moved when weather became an issue in the region.

Stratton's overtime winner came when she took a feed from Sage McElroy-Scott (Morden, MB) at the side of the Moncton net and fired a wrist shot past Aigles Bleues goalie Audrey Berthiaume (St-Bruno, QC).

"I liked how our team battled back to tie it up in the third and push through in the overtime to come home with two points," said Reds head coach Sarah Hilworth. "Certainly, it was not the start we wanted, but I was very impressed with the play of Hilary Cashin today. She held us in there when we needed her the most. I'm happy she was able to come in and play an excellent game for us."

After a scoreless first period, the home team got on the board at the 13:54 mark of the second.

Sarah-Eve Mailhot (Montreal, QC) found the puck in a scramble in front of Reds' netminder Hilary Cashin (Fredericton, NB) and shovelled it in, giving Moncton a 1-0 lead.

A tight defensive contest continued until the 10:29 mark of the third, when Stratton scored her first.

Through 60 minutes, Moncton outshot UNB 24-17.

In the extra frame, les Aigles Bleues failed to convert on a 3-on-1 opportunity and a 2-on-1 scoring chance.

Stratton's winner came moments later, earning her Subway Player of the Game honours.

Cashin stopped 24 of 25 shots for the win in the UNB net, while Berthiaume stopped 18 of the 20 shots she faced.

The Reds, now 18-and-9, are locked into fourth place in the AUS standings, and will return home for their regular season finale on Sunday, at 4:00pm, against the Saint Mary's Huskies. That game was originally scheduled for Saturday.

"We need to regroup quickly and continue to build some momentum going into playoffs. We play a team tomorrow hungry to finish in first place, and we want to treat tomorrow like a playoff game," said Hilworth. "Every game from here on out counts, and we want to make sure we make that happen tomorrow."

With the point for the overtime loss, and Dalhousie's loss at St. Thomas on Saturday afternoon, Moncton, now 7-18-2, clinches the sixth and final Atlantic University Sport playoff spot.

They'll play their final regular season game on Monday evening, when they host Mount Allison.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Université de Moncton Athletics