(FREDERICTON, NB) The St. Thomas Tommies scored three times in the second period, including two goals in a nine second span, in a 4-3 shootout win Friday night, spoiling the UNB REDS return to play after a 73-day hiatus.
The game marked the return to Atlantic University Sport play for both teams after an extended layoff due to pandemic restrictions which went into effect after the league's regular December break.
Ekaterina Pelowich (Stouffville, ON) scored the Tommies' shootout winner.
"I was going in on a breakaway in overtime and I wanted to get the puck higher, but couldn't," said Pelowich, named Subway Player of the Game. "So that's what I did in the shootout. It was in my mind, skating down slow, and I got higher right there."
The game started slowly, with both teams fighting for opportunities.
Both goaltenders, UNB's Kendra Woodland (Kamloops, BC) and the Tommies' Caroline Pietroski (Etobicoke, ON), were forced to make a handful of saves in the early going.
The hosts opened the scoring at 15:16 of the 1st period, Payton Hargreaves (Whitby, ON) scoring with the REDS short-handed.
Ashley Stratton (Mount Pearl, NL) drew the only assist on the goal, the 60th point of her REDS career, making her the program's all-time leading scorer.
Stratton moved past Amanda Wuerth, with whom she'd been tied since the REDS' last game, on November 30th. Wuerth tallied 59 points during her career, which ran from the 2003-04 season through 2006-07.
"It's pretty special," Stratton said of the milestone "There's so many good players that have been in this program and there are so many good players here now, obviously they've helped me get to this point where I'm at, and I can only thank them."
The Tommies took control in the second period.
Jacey Dane (Aurora, ON) tied the game early, before UNB's Reagan Minor (Dunnville, ON) restored the REDS one-goal lead.
Emma Pye (Oshawa, ON) scored at the 16:19 mark to tie the score 2-2.
Nine seconds later, at 16:28, Emma Wilson (Midhurst, ON) took the puck following the faceoff and beat Woodland to give the Tommies their first lead of the night.
Stratton drew the REDS even at 17:17 of the third period, forcing overtime.
Both teams had scoring chances during the five-minute overtime, but they remained deadlocked.
Pelowich's goal came in the fifth round of the shootout.
"It was awesome to be back playing," she said. "We've been off for so long, so getting back into it there, there's motivation and we've just got to keep going."
With the win, St. Thomas is now 9-and-8, while UNB is 12-3-0-2.
"It's an unfortunate loss," said Stratton, who finished the game with a goal and two assists. "We kind of collapsed in the second, but overall, first game back in a while, we know where we can be and what we need to do for the games to come, so, overall, it's unfortunate, but we know what we need to do."
Next up for the REDS, a matinee at Mount Allison on Saturday, February 19th. Game time is scheduled for 2:15pm.
The Tommies return home to host the Saint Mary's Huskies, on Sunday, February 20th, at 2:00pm.
RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics