(FREDERICTON, NB) Lauren Carter (Milton, ON) scored back-to-back goals less than five minutes apart in the third period to drive the UNB REDS to a 3-0 victory over the UPEI Panthers Saturday night at UNB's Aitken Centre.
"We had a pretty good effort tonight," said Carter, named Tim Horton's Player of the Game. "We had a slow start, but we re-grouped and came together to finish it off in the end."
The Panthers tested REDS goaltender Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC) early in the first period. Lexie Murphy (Kensington, PE) was left unattended at the backdoor and fired a one-timer, but Woodland stretched her pad out to make a kick save.
The teams were scoreless in the opening 20 minutes.
During the second period, both teams brought a physical edge, resulting in the REDS being short-handed for nearly six consecutive minutes midway through the period, and facing 13 Panthers shots.
"We had to kill quite a few penalties in the game," Carter noted. "But once we were out of the box playing 5-on-5 hockey, we played very well."
Upon returning to even strength near the 17-minute mark, the REDS' Rylee Strohm (Kingsville, ON) broke over the blue line and unleashed a powerful wrist shot over Panthers' goaltender Erin Cabaday's (Oakville, ON) shoulder only to ricochet off the crossbar.
The score remained 0-0 through two periods.
The REDS flew out of the gate in the third, scoring three goals in the final period and never looking back.
Carter's first came just a minute into the period, faking a pass to linemate Melanie Drost (Nepean, ON) and sailing the puck low-blocker side into the net.
On her second, five minutes later, she took a drop-pass from Drost, and made the same move from the same spot on the ice, making it 2-0 REDS.
"My first goal was a two-on-one," said Carter. "I was waiting for the defender to bite to one side, but she didn't. I faked a look to Mel and the D followed which opened up the shot lane to the far side of the net."
"The second goal, I received a great drop pass from Mel on the rush," she added. "I was able to pick the corner, same place as the last one."
Lauren O'Neil (Osgoode, ON) was the one to close off the REDS scoring frenzy at 8:38 of the period, taking a cross-ice pass from Payton Hargreaves (Whitby, ON) and scoring in similar fashion to Carter's goals.
The U SPORTS No. 7 ranked REDS stay on top of the Atlantic University Sport standings with a 9-2-0-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL) record
"We're feeling good," said Carter. "We're focused on growing as a team each game and building to maintain our lead going further."
The REDS are on the road next weekend, opening with a visit to Saint Mary on Friday night.
The Panthers also travel to Halifax, taking on the Dalhousie on Friday.
RECAP BY: Madison Tucker/for UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Fran Harris/for UNB Athletics