REDS Open Semi-Final With Shutout

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS took a one-game-to-nothing lead over the UPEI Panthers with a 3-0 win in the opening game of their best-of-five Atlantic University Sport semi-final, Wednesday night at UNB's Aitken Centre.

Alayna Wagstaff (Olds, AB) scored a goal and had an assist to lead the REDS. She was named Subway Player of the Game.

"It feels good," said Wagstaff. "We played a full 60, from the goalie to the forwards, we played as a team."

"A big part of our success this year has been our forecheck and I thought we executed that really well tonight," she added.

The REDS opened the scoring just 2:16 into the first period.

Marisa Valla (St. Catharines, ON) pushed a loose puck past Panthers' netminder Sarah Forsythe (Riverview, NB) to give the home team and top seed an early lead.

Just past the mid-way point of the opening period, the Panthers had a glorious chance to draw even, but Kaiya Maracle (Toronto, ON) sent a re-direct just wide of the REDS net, and UNB took their 1-0 lead to the first intermission.

In the second period, the REDS added to their lead early.

Wagstaff tipped an Ashley Stratton (Mount Pearl, NL) pass into the UPEI net at the 1:28 mark.

"I'd just got on the ice, and I saw Stratt come across and called for it," said Wagstaff. "She made a really nice pass across, and it just went into the net."

With about 6:30 to play in the third, the Panthers thought they'd scored to trim UNB's lead, but the goal was waved off after a brief meeting of the on-ice officials.

With less than two minutes to play, Sydney Oitomen (Mississauga, ON) was sprung on a breakaway, and she beat Forsythe five-hole to give UNB a 3-0 victory.

"It's a big bounce back tomorrow and we need to show them what we can do," said Panthers' forward Ashley McCutcheon (Kitchener, ON), named UPEI's Subway Player of the Game. "You've got to start on time and play a full 60 minutes," she added. "It was a little bit of a slow start each period, but once the periods started, we clicked in and saw how this series is going to go."

Forsythe made 26 saves on 29 UNB shots while Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC), named AUS Most Valuable Player earlier this week, stopped all 25 of the shots she faced.

"We've got to keep rolling," said Wagstaff. "If we play the same game, we should be successful tomorrow night as well."

The REDS host game two of the series on Thursday. Game time is 7:00pm.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics