Panthers Halt REDS Run

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS win streak is over.

It ended at 13 games on Wednesday night when the U SPORTS No. 1 ranked REDS were upset by the visiting UPEI Panthers.

Sarah Forsythe (Riverview, NB) made 26 saves to lead the Panthers in a 3-0 win, earning Subway Player of the Game honours.

"The team is ecstatic. It's such a good vibe right now," said Forsythe. "We're in for a great drive home. We're all super happy and, I think, we all deserve this."

Forsythe was on her game in the early going, making a nice cross-crease move to deny UNB's Tamina Kehler (Chilliwack, BC) on a two-on-one break.

A short time later, Forsythe stopped REDS' forward Lily George (Nipissing First Nation) on a breakaway.

"UNB is such a smart team, it's just so tough sometimes when they're so fast, but you read the play and try to be communicating with your team," said Forsythe. "I've done enough research on these girls. I know they're very talented and they're not always going to shoot, so I had to keep my head on a swivel, especially on the two on one."

The visitors rewarded Forsythe's strong play by scoring the first goal of the game, late in the first period. 

Lexie Murphy (Kensington, PE) snapped a wrist shot high over the shoulder of REDS' goalie Cassie McCallum (Rothesay, NB), and the Panthers took that 1-0 lead to the locker room for the first intermission.

In the second, with the REDS working on the powerplay, Orianna MacNeil (Mabou, NS) banked a long pass to McKinley Nelson (Calgary, AB) who beat McCallum glove side with a short-handed goal to take a 2-0 lead.

Moments later, Forsythe was at it again, making a save on a shot from point blank range by UNB's Ashley Stratton (Mount Pearl, NL).

Murphy added an empty net goal, late in the third, to make the final score 3-0.

"We don't measure our success in terms of wins and losses, we keep saying we'll measure it in terms of improvement, and I think this is a good learning experience for our team," said REDS' forward Frederike Cyr (Candiac, QC). "She (Forsythe) had a great game, but I have to tip my hat to the rest of the team as well. PEI played a great game, and they deserved the win."

The loss is the first in regulation for UNB this season, and the first since a shootout loss in their season opener.

UNB remains atop the Atlantic University Sport standings with a 13-1-0-1 record.

"We weren't expecting to go the entire season undefeated," said REDS' head coach Sarah Hilworth. "We played a really good team tonight. We played a good game against them. It sucks, always, to lose and the competitive person in me doesn't like that, but there was some really good looks and attempts tonight."

"This lights a little bit more of a fire under our belly going forward," she added.

Up next for the REDS, a short cross-town journey on Friday to face the St. Thomas Tommies, at Fredericton's Grant-Harvey Centre. Game time is 7:00pm.

The Panthers are back on the road Saturday when they visit STFX for a 7:00pm start.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics