Sutherland and Queens edge Ooks at RDC

Red Deer, AB –  It was a battle for second spot Friday evening at the Gary W Harris Canada Games Centre. The Red Deer Queens and NAIT Ooks entered the contest with identical records and after 60 minutes the home team held a 3-2 edge.

About midway through the first period, the Queens had a four minute power play and were eventually rewarded. With 15 seconds left with the extra skater, RDC's Sydnee Decorby set up Jenessa Fournier on the right side and the Kinesiology Fitness-Health student beat NAIT goaltender Kaitlyn Slator high on the glove side. It was the Queens' seventh shot of the stanza.

Before the end of the frame, NAIT was given their own opportunity on the power play and Brittney Savard capitalized. Ooks' defender Julia Wing took a shot from the point which was blocked in front. Savard, a Business Administration student, corralled the puck and quickly released it on the ice past Queens netminder Madison Fox for the equalizer.

The contest remained even until 7:34 of the middle frame. A Queens' shot from the outside was blocked by multiple bodies in front of Slator. Sydney Rowley, from Martnesville, Saskatchewan, was well positioned and jammed it home. It was Sydney Rowley's fourth goal and sixth point of the season. Sibling Brooklyn Rowley and Ashley Sutherland recorded the assists.

Shortly after, the RDC Queens and NAIT Ooks traded power play goals. First RDC's Camryn Wallan beat Slator on the glove side for a 3-1 edge. Then NAIT's Treasure Posch stepped into a shot from the point that found space over Fox's glove.

Still down one goal late in the third, Ooks Head Coach Stef Thomson called a timeout with 1:49 remaining to formulate a late attack. Slator was then pulled for the extra skater with 53 ticks left on the clock, but NAIT couldn't find the equalizer. The RDC Queens earned a 3-2 victory and jumped into sole possession of second place in the standings. 

Ashley Sutherland was named the Collegiate Sports Medicine Queens Player-of-the-Game, contributing a pair of assists.

Treasure Posch received the award for the Ooks.

Fox turned aside 15 out of 17 shots. Slator made 20 saves on 23 shots.

The Queens went two-for-three on the power play. The Ooks responded with two out of four opportunities.

On Saturday, Jan. 18, the Queens (10-4-1-0) and NAIT Ooks (9-5-1-0) will compete in Edmonton at 6:00 pm in a rematch.