Source: Daniel Briand, CBU Athletics
(Sydney, NS) - To kick off the AUS Championship the 4th seeded Dalhousie Tigers took on the UNB Reds with the final score being 3-1 in the Reds favour. The game started exciting and chippy, exactly how a playoff game should be with both teams having almost identical records fighting to make it to the next round! In the first 7 minutes the Tigers keeper Annabel Gravely had to make a nice save to keep the game scoreless and that gave the Tigers a boost because they started running and using lightning speed to get up and down the pitch and test the keeper for the Reds, Brynn Nash (Saskatoon, SK). The game then shifted in favor of the Tigers. After a cross and a scramble in front of the net Kaitlyn Woodworth scored to give Dalhousie a 1-0 lead. The half ended by Brynn Nash making a few gorgeous saves to keep the game 1-0 at halftime.
In the second half of the game, we saw a quicker UNB team rushing down the pitch using defense to create offense. In the 48th minute of the game after using a great dribble move to get a breakaway Clarisse Ramirez (Fredericton, NB) punched the ball into the back of the net to tie the game up 1-1. The draw didn't last though because In the 63rd minute after 2 great diving saves by Dalhousie keeper Annabel Gravely (Toronto, ON) the loose ball was tapped in by Danika Lefebvre to give the Reds a 2-1 lead.
In the 81st minute the Tigers got a few great opportunities while Nash was out of the net but as the ball was loose they could not capitalize. The Tigers were credited with an own goal late in the match. The Reds finished off the match by playing good defense and they took the first round with a final score of 3-1.
Player of the game for Dalhousie was Riley Donovan (Toronto, ON)
Player of the game for UNB was Jesse Bellamy (St. Catharines, ON)
UNB will next play the Acadia Axewomen on Friday at 11.30am in the semi-final.