UNB Blanks Dal

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Reds used a balanced scoring attack and solid goaltending to beat the Dal Tigers 5-0 on Saturday night.

Emma Dow (Fredericton, NB), Ashley Stratton (Mount Pearl, NL), Jennifer Bell (Miramichi, NB), Paige Grenier (Olds, AB), and Sydney DesRochers (Woodstock, NB) scored goals and Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC) stopped 33 shots to earn the shut-out.

Dow, Stratton and Bell all finished the night with a goal and an assist.

Stratton, who scored her second goal in as many nights, was named the Subway Player of the Game.

"I've been putting the work in, on and off the ice," said Stratton. "I've been trying to build up my shot since the season started. It's finally coming together and I'm starting to get pucks on the net."

After some early pressure by the Tigers, the Reds came to life late in the first period.

Dow opened the scoring at 17:35, when she broke down the right wing after taking a pass from Hanna Matchett (Nanton, AB). Dow shot from low in the right faceoff circle, beating Tigers netminder Taylor Beam (Brooklin, ON).

"I was flying through the zone. It was really her, Matchett, she brought the defence to her, pulled them in, and I was just lucky that it found its way into the net," said Dow, of her first Atlantic University Sport goal.

"I never thought in a million years I'd have this opportunity to play in the AUS, so to go out there and score my first goal is really something special, and to have my parents in the stands, it was really a big night."

UNB took that 1-0 lead to the first intermission.

Early in the second period, Stratton found the puck in the corner, cycled out and into the slot before firing a wrist shot that beat Beam on the blocker side.

The Reds led 2-0 after 40 minutes.

Bell was part of a trio of Reds that crashed the Dal net in the opening seconds of the third period. She managed to shovel the puck past Beam, just 26 seconds in.

Grenier scored as the Reds worked the power-play.

Julia Spitzig (Kitchener, ON) took a shot from the slot. Beam made the save, but gave up a rebound which bounced right to Grenier who had little trouble firing the puck into the open net.

With the Tigers working a late power-play, head coach Sean Fraser, pulled Beam for a 6-on-4 advantage.

Dow was able to gain possession of the puck and feed DesRochers, who scored into the open net.

"It's a pretty good feeling," said Dow, of the win. "Now we have to focus on what's coming up next. We'll accept the win and move on and look forward to heading down to play SMU."

"We're all hyped up, and we're ready to go for next weekend and hopefully we can keep going with these wins," said Stratton.

With the win, UNB is now 6-3-3, and tied for second in the AUS standings.

The Tigers fall to 4-7-2 with the loss.

The Reds head to Halifax next weekend, where they'll meet Saint Mary's on Saturday.

Dalhousie plays host to UPEI on Friday.

RECAP AND PHOTOS: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics