Reds advance to AUS finals after 4-2 win over Panthers

The UNB REDS are headed back to the Atlantic University Sport women's hockey championship series. The REDS defeated the UPEI Panthers 4-2 on Sunday to win their best of five semi-final series three-games-to-one.

Alayna Wagstaff (Olds, AB) scored the game winning goal for the REDS in a thrilling third period.

Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC) was named Subway Player of the Game. The 2022-23 AUS MVP made 34 saves to help her team move on to the next round. 

"It was a little bit of a nail biter," said Woodland. "We were definitely really happy with our push today after coming back from being down a goal. We're just so over the moon right now."

It took almost two periods to find the first goal, but UNB was able to open the scoring at 19:49 of the second period, courtesy of Sydney Oitomen (Mississauga, ON), who was able to put home a rebound to give the REDS the lead with just seconds on the clock.

The Panthers would not bow out easily though, and at 5:19 of the third period Kaiya Maracle (Toronto, ON) was able to tie the game, putting home a loose puck in front of the net.

Minutes later, while the Panthers were shorthanded, Kelly Clements (High Bank, PE) was sprung on a breakaway and beat Woodland stick-side to give UPEI a 2-1 lead.

With time running out, second-year REDS' forward Lauren Carter (Milton, ON) was able to corral a rebound off a shot from Talli Warren (Mundleville, NB) to tie the game at 14:51 of the third.

Moments later UPEI's Orianna MacNeil (Mabou, NS) made a costly mistake, clearing the puck over the glass in the defensive zone. She was assessed a delay of game penalty.

Wagstaff was able to gather a loose puck in front and put it into the net giving UNB the lead with 3:31 left to play.

"I was just told to stay in front of the net, and I saw the puck pop out and I was just able to put it in," said Wagstaff. "It was a garbage goal, but that's what we needed at the time."

Tamina Kehler (Chilliwack, BC) would add to the REDS lead just one minute later.

Ashley Stratton (Mount Pearl, NL) found Kehler wide open in the slot and the senior forward would snipe one past the Panthers goalie Sarah Forsythe (Riverview, NB), giving the REDS the insurance they needed to close out the game and win the series.

With the victory Sunday night, UNB has also clinched a spot in the U SPORTS Championship tournament, in Montreal, March 16-19.

"For a lot of us on this team, it is our last rodeo," said Wagstaff. "We have experience we needed from last year that will help us be ready to go when the time comes."

The REDS will now await their opponent in the AUS Championship series, as the STFX X-Women and Saint Mary's Huskies battle in the other AUS semi-final.

"We're going to focus on recovery now," said Woodland. "It's going to be important to make sure we're as healthy as we can be. It doesn't really matter what team we face in that final series, but we're really looking forward to it and focusing on us in the meantime."

RECAP BY: Evan Richtsfeld/UNB Athletics; PHOTO CREDIT: Janessa Hogan