(FREDERICTON, NB) The Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues scored twice in the final minute to defeat the UNB REDS 2-0 on Saturday night, at UNB's Aitken Centre.
Lianne Desforges (Clarence-Rockland, ON) scored the game winning goal, earning the Tim Hortons Player of the Game honours.
"I'm really proud of our team tonight," said Desforges. "We didn't give up, played to the last minute, and it paid off for us."
It was an exciting first period, full of close chances.
The REDS attempted to capitalize on a five-on-three opportunity due to two Moncton penalties, late in the first, but Audrey Berthiaume (St-Bruno, QC) shut the door on the REDS.
The two teams were scoreless in the first 20 minutes of action.
Moncton was the first to have a scoring chance, at 1:25 of the second period.
Clémence Dumesnil (Laval, QC) found a loose puck in between the centre harshmarks, just feet in front of the REDS' crease. REDS' goaltender, Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC) would come out big burying the puck in her chest and taking away the opportunity.
"We had a pretty good game overall," said first-year RED fRylee Strohm (Kingsville, ON). "We need to capitalize on more opportunities like the ones we had early on in the game. I think we took those for granted, and at the end of the game they came back to bite us."
Strohm had the crowd on the edge of their seats near the half way mark of the second. Showing impressive puck-handling skills, she made her way around three Moncton players before missing the left corner of the net by a few inches.
The second period ended with both teams still looking for a goal.
They came out aggressively to start the third period, with scoring opportunities at both ends of the ice.
Early in the final period, the REDS would find themselves with a 2-on-0 opportunity. At 1:16 Strohm would find a lane and fired a rocket at Berthiaume who kicked out the rebound just past the reach of REDS forward Reagan Minor (Dunnville, ON).
As the final period neared its end, both teams gave their best to score the difference-maker.
Desforges would get to play hero for Moncton.
At 19:16, after a faceoff in Moncton's end, Isadora Quirion (Saint-Gédéon de Beauce, QC) would shoot a long pass up the board to clear the puck. Desforges, with speed, would beat a REDS defender and find herself with a breakaway opportunity, putting the puck past Woodland.
"I was going wide," she explained. "I knew I wanted to pull the goalie to the other side. I saw the opening and pushed it in."
Seconds later, Moncton's Shani Rossignol (Notre Dame de Lourdes, NB) would score an empty net goal, closing the game off at 2-0.
The REDS win streak ends at eight games and UNB is now 8-2-0-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL), with both losses being to Moncton.
Moncton's record improves to 6-3-0-1.
The REDS will host the Mount Allision Mounties in a mid-week game, Wednesday at 7:00pm.
The Aigles Bleues visit Halifax next Friday to take on the Dalhousie Tigers.
RECAP BY: Madison Tucker/for UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Fran Harris/for UNB Athletics