(WOLFVILLE, NS) The UNB Reds forced a third and deciding game in the Subway Atlantic University Sport men's hockey championship series with a 6-0 win at Acadia, on Wednesday.
Samuel Harvey (Alma, QC) made 36 saves for the shut-out and was named the Subway Player of the Game.
"My defence did a great job today, and they're going to do a great job on Friday," Harvey told tv1 following the game. "They just helped me a lot, and I'm really proud of them."
The Reds took an early 1-0 lead when Samuel Dove-McFalls (Montreal, QC) had an open net to shoot at after Stephen Anderson (Morell, PE) drove the net less than four minutes into the opening period.
UNB struck again, with 7:32 remaining in the first.
Mark Rassell (Calgary, AB) doubled the Reds' lead when Axemen goaltender Logan Flodell (Regina, SK) had trouble controlling the rebound of Matt Boucher's (Los Angeles, Calif.) shot. Rassell slid the loose puck beneath Flodell from the edge of the crease.
A more focused and aggressive Acadia team began the second period with lots of pressure, but it was the Reds who did the scoring.
7:12 into the second, Patrick Watling (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) buried a rebound, beating an outstretched Flodell.
And the Reds weren't done.
Tyler Boland (St. John's, NL) added a fourth goal to UNB's commanding lead after a two-on-one rush ended with Boland tapping in a rebound.
With 9:44 remaining in the third, Matt Murphy (Fredericton, NB) gave the Reds a 5-0 lead with a perfect shot over the glove of Flodell, from the top of the face-off circles.
UNB's sixth goal came when Alexandre Goulet (Disraeli, QC) fired a one-timer off a cross-ice pass from Oliver Cooper (Fredericton, NB) on the power-play, with just over a minute remaining, and made the final 6-0 for UNB.
"It was a good, solid road win," said Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall. "We had contributions from throughout our line-up."
The Reds were 2-for-5 on the power-play, while the Axemen couldn't find the back of the net on seven opportunities.
"I'm able to play in big moments, stressful moments, so it helped me a lot," Harvey told tv1, when asked how last year's Memorial Cup-winning experience is helping him in his first AUS playoffs. "I can manage my game better, I think."
The teams head back to Fredericton for game three of the best of three series, Friday night, at UNB's Aitken Centre. Game time is 7:00pm.
"It's always an exciting opportunity and challenge to play a deciding game in your home rink for an AUS Championship," said MacDougall.
RECAP BY: Griffin Herrington/for Acadia Athletics and Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Peter Oleskevich/for Acadia Athletics