Mounties season ends with quarterfinal loss to UNB

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS beat the Mount Allison Mounties 6-1 Wednesday night in a one-game Atlantic University Sport quarter final. 

Ashley Stratton (Mount Pearl, NL) scored twice and assisted on another goal to lead the REDS. 

She was named the Subway Player of the Game. 

"I think there was definitely some nerves, a little bit of stress and anxiety at the start, but I think we shook it off after the first period, let it all go, and after that we were flying after that," said Stratton. 

After a scoreless first period, the REDS erupted for five goals in the second. 

Tamina Kehler (Chilliwack, BC) opened the scoring at the 5:07 mark of the second. 

With the REDS on the powerplay, Kehler fed a pass to Payton Hargreaves (Whitby, ON) in the slot. Her shot was stopped by Mounties netminder Bianca Zak (Stonewall, MB), but Kehler was there to pounce on the rebound. 

Less than 90 seconds later, Talli Warren (Mundleville, NB) fired a shot from the blue line that hit a stick in the slot and bounced up and over Zak and into the Mount Allison net, giving UNB a 2-0 lead. 

Marley Van Den Oetelaar (Whitby, ON), Jenna MacLean (Wilcox, SK) and Stratton added goals in a six-minute span late in the period. 

Stratton's second of the night came midway through the third period, a one-timer off a beautiful slap pass from MacLean. 

Tallon Stephenson (Lloydminster, AB) scored Mount Allison's only goal of the game with just 1:19 left to play, spoiling Kendra Woodland's (Kamloops, BC) shutout bid. 

"It's not the result we wanted, but we've got a lot to learn," said Stephenson. "We're in a rebuilding phase, so we have a lot to look forward to moving forward. We're only losing two players, we have a lot of returning girls, so a lot of growth moving forward. I think it's going to be exciting what we can build over the next couple of years." 

The REDS outshot the Mounties 43-15. 

"Our season could've ended tonight, so we did what we needed to do, got the job done and we keep going," said MacLean. "We were pretty anxious all day. Once we got to the rink, we settled down a little bit, but that first period is always a bit nerve wracking, but we figured it out in the second and came out on top." 

The loss ends Mount Allison's season, while the REDS advance to face the St. Thomas Tommies in a best of three conference semi-final series. Game one will go Friday (March 11th), at 7:00pm, at UNB's Aitken Centre. 

"I think it's definitely a great momentum game to go into the next round and the girls were looking great out there," said Stratton. "We're just excited to go to the next round." 

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics 

PHOTOS BY: Fran Harris/for UNB Athletics