REDS advance in shootout thriller over Ottawa

(ELMIRA, Ont.) The UNB REDS beat the University of Ottawa Gee Gees 2-1 in a shoot-out in their Friday quarter-final at U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championship, hosted by Waterloo University, in Elmira, Ontario.

Payton Hargreaves' goal, after Ottawa failed to score, pushes the REDS into the semi-final round at the national championship tournament.

Gee Gees' forward Alex Ferguson scored the game's first goal, on the powerplay, just 55 seconds into the first period.

At the 12:33 mark of the first, with Ottawa once again on the powerplay, the Gee Gees turned the puck over in their own zone and Lauren Carter made them pay, firing a wrist shot from the slot that beat Ottawa goalie Clara Genier.

The two teams then settled into a defensive struggle that lasted the remaining 47 minutes of regulation and 10 minutes of overtime.

Both teams had scoring chances, but both goaltenders were up to the challenge.

In the shootout, neither team scored with their first three shooters.

Ferguson, shooting a second time, scored on Ottawa's fourth attempt, but Katelyn Scott followed with a goal for UNB.

Cassie McCallum stopped Gillian Warren's attempt before Hargreaves popped UNB's winner.

In regulation and overtime, Genier made 43 saves on 44 REDS shots. McCallum earned the win in the UNB net, making 28 saves on 29 shots.

The No. 4 seeded REDS now prepare to face No. 8 Montreal in Saturday's semi-finals.

The Carabins upset the tournament's top seeded UBC Thunderbirds in a shoot-out in Friday's other quarter-final.

Guelph and Concordia meet in Saturday's other semi-final.

STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB REDS
PHOTOS BY: Waterloo University Athletics