February 24, 2017

Born Reddy: Redmond nets OT winner in game 1 victory over Mustangs

Marissa Redmond (Ajax) scored the overtime winner at 13:55 of the first overtime period to lift Waterloo to a huge 3-2 win over the Western Mustangs in game one of the OUA west quarter-finals. It was the first playoff goal for Redmond since her rookie season (2012-13) and for the fifth senior the moment was oh so sweet.

Waterloo

Western

Final	1	2	3	OT	T
Waterloo	1	0	1	1	3
Western	1	0	1	0	2

Marissa Redmond (Ajax) scored the overtime winner at 13:55 of the first overtime period to lift Waterloo to a huge 3-2 win over the Western Mustangs in game one of the OUA west quarter-finals. It was the first playoff goal for Redmond since her rookie season (2012-13) and for the fifth senior the moment was oh so sweet.

"It feels great and we're all really pumped in the dressing room," said Redmond in an interview with CTV. "It was a grind out there and we've got lots of work left to do. We'll now focus and get ready for game two." Between the pipes, Stephanie Sluys (Clinton) was outstanding in what was her first career post-season start. Sluys stopped 39 of 41 saves including some key stops in the first two frames where the visitors outshot Waterloo 31-11.

Despite being outplayed in the early going, Waterloo managed to find the opening goal as Dana Fairbarn (Maple) scored just her second career goal with a seeing-eye point shot that eluded Mustang goalie Katie Jacobs at the 10:32 mark. Carolyn Burke (Mississauga) got the helper on the perfect shot from Fairbarn.

Western tied the game just four minutes later as April Clark took advantage of an error from the Warrior defender and went in all alone on Sluys. She made no mistake with the top-corner shot to send the game into the first intermission tied at one.

After a scoreless middle frame, Waterloo regained the lead early in the third as Amr Barnard batted home a loose puck for her first career playoff goal. Redmond and Lindsey McDonald (Ajax) picked up the assists on the go-ahead goal.

Keeping with the trend, Western again found the equalizer as the captain Emma Pearson made a nice move on the point and fired one past Sluys on the blocker side with eight minutes to play in the third. Both teams had great chances in the final minutes to end the game but Jacobs and Sluys stood tall to send the game to overtime, setting up the heroic moment for Redmond.

The fifth year forward came down the far wing with a 2-on-1 with linemate Angela MacDonald (Kitchener). Redmond would call her own number and make a perfect shot, off the shoulder of Jacobs into the top corner for the big game one win.
The two combatants will have little time for rest as game two goes tomorrow night in London at 7pm. You can catch the action live on OUA.tv.