V-Reds Top Panthers

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PE) Stephen Anderson's sizzling season-opening goal scoring pace continues.

The Morell, Prince Edward Island native scored twice to lead the UNB Varsity Reds in a 5-3 win over the UPEI Panthers, in Charlottetown, on Friday.

Anderson now has five goals in two games.

He scored a hat-trick in UNB's season-opening win over Moncton, on Wednesday.

On Friday, Anderson's goals came in a span of just 4:22 in the second period, as UNB worked on a five minute power-play.

"We were getting a lot of shots on the goaltender, but he had a heck of night and we couldn't get anything by him," said Anderson, of UNB's three goal second period. "We just stayed with it and after we got the first one, it came in bunches."

After a lengthy back and forth affair in the opening period, the Panthers' Sam Aulie(Lumsden, SK) broke the deadlock with 1:12 to play.

Late in the second, Panthers' rookie Filip Rydstrom(Stockholm, SWE) took a major penalty for charging, and the Varsity Reds made the most of the opportunity.

"We're a team that once we get one, we seem to pounce on them and get two and three, so that first one was big for us," said Anderson.

Kameron Kielly(Charlottetown, PE) and Ryan MacKinnon(Summerside, PE) would score to pull UPEI within two, but that's as close as they'd get.

Oliver Cooper(Fredericton, NB), Kris Bennett(Brampton, ON), and Cam Brace(Etobicoke, ON) also scored for the V-Reds, who improve to 2-and-0 to start the Atlantic University Sport season.

For Cooper and Bennett, the goals were their first as Varsity Reds. Bennett scored his while UNB was short-handed.

Alex Dubeau(Mascouche, QC) stopped 9 of the 12 shots he faced to earn the win. He also assisted on Brace's third period goal.

Chris Clapperton(Cap d'Espoir, QC) and Randy Gazzola(Thorold, ON) both had two assists.

"Being back-to-back national champions, we're always going to have a target on our back," said Anderson. "We feed off that. Everyone seems to bring their best game against us and that's good for us, it gives us a challenge and we have to be ready every single night."

The Panthers travel to Moncton on Saturday to face U de M's Aigles Bleus.

The Varsity Reds head to Moncton on Wednesday before a re-match with the Panthers, at UNB's Aitken Centre, on Friday. Face-off is scheduled for 7:00pm.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics and Thomas Becker/UPEI Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Thomas Becker/UPEI Athletics