(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS scored early and often on Saturday, beating the visiting Mount Allison Mounties 8-0.
"It's pretty big, especially the way the season's been going and that we have some big goals ahead of us," said veteran REDS forward Myah Bowal (Terrace, BC), who scored a pair of goals and added two assists in the win. "Just knowing that we beat a team 8-0 just brings positive energy moving forward."
The lopsided victory came 24 hours after the REDS first loss of the season in regulation, on Friday.
The REDS wasted little time taking control of the game, with Sage McElroy-Scott (Morden, MB) scoring a power-play goal at the 3:02 mark of the first period.
The two teams settled into a bit of a back and forth until UNB converted another power-play opportunity with just 1:04 left in the period. Ashley Stratton's (Mount Pearl, NL) goal gave UNB a 2-0 lead.
26 seconds later, UNB went up 3-0 when Talli Warren (Mundleville, NB) scored her first Atlantic University Sport goal.
The offense continued to roll in the second period.
Lily George (Garden Village, ON) made it 4-0 for the home team 4:15 in, and Melanie Drost (Nepean, ON) made it 5-0 at 5:07, a second chance opportunity after Stratton missed from close range.
Drost's goal chased Mounties' starting netminder Hanna Pagdato (Winnipeg, MB) from the next. Kaitlyn Evelyn (Courtice, ON) took over.
The REDS added three more in the third period, including Bowal's pair and another from Emma Giordano (Ancaster, ON).
Cassie McCallum made 10 saves to earn the shut-out.
Bowal was named Subway Player of the Game.
"I talked to my line before the third and we were kind of excited to go into the third knowing that we were up 5-0 and things just went our way," she said.
Frederike Cyr (Candiac, QC) registered four assists and Jenna MacLean (Wilcox, SK) contributed three.
"We really just worked as a team and we worked hard, we were having fun, we were finding each other," said Cyr. "We were doing the little things that we were missing yesterday."
Mounties' head coach Lucrece O'Neal was succinct when she emerged from the team's dressing room following her post-game address.
"I was a little lost for words today, I'm not going to lie. We've got some work to do and I hope they're ready to do it," she said quietly. "I think you just have to be patient and take a step back and look at the bigger picture. You can't just look at the scoreboard, but it's a tough one."
With the win, the REDS return to the top of the AUS standings with a 6-1-0-1 record, while the Mounties are now 1-7-0-0.
Up next for the Mounties, a Thursday evening date, in Halifax, with the Saint Mary's Huskies.
The REDS will host Moncton on Friday.
RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Fran Harris/for UNB Athletics