REDS Rout Aigles Bleus

(FREDERICTON, NB) Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus head coach Derek Cormier will celebrate his 50th birthday Monday.

Suffice it to say he feels much older after spending the weekend watching the UNB REDS dismantle his Aigles Bleus in Atlantic University Sport men's hockey semi-final play at UNB's Aitken Centre.

The REDS took a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series Saturday with a convincing 7-1 victory.

This on the heels of an 8-3 win in the series opener on Friday.

"I think I put a few more grey hairs on here the last couple of days," he said, managing a chuckle. "It's just a number I guess."

Speaking of numbers, Moncton was outscored 15-4 and outshot 91-39 over the past two games. Two long, dizzying nights for the Aigles Bleus.

"I guess we were expecting that, because we know what kind of team they have over there," said Cormier. "I guess our guys were kind of star struck a little bit and watched them run around. It hasn't been easy, that's for sure. When they're on their game, they're probably the best team around, there's no doubt about that."

Simon Pinard (Drummondville, QC) had two goals and an assist for the second straight night and Michael Petizian (Mississauga, ON) had a pair of goals and an assist to spark the REDS in another lopsided win.

"Obviously, it's two big scores, but it doesn't mean anything," said Pinard. "I think we played a great game (Friday) and today too. It's a big score, but we just keep grinding hard."

Just as they had done 24 hours earlier, the REDS flew out of the gate, firing the first six shots before the Aigles Bleus could so much as penetrate the UNB zone.

It was Brady Gilmour (Grafton, ON) who broke the ice for UNB, banging a rebound past Moncton goaltender Etienne Montpetit (Valleyfield, QC) at 9:59.

The Aigles Bleus pushed back a bit in the second half of the period, but the REDS struck again at 18:41, with Pinard putting it past Montpetit after a scramble in front.

More of the same in the second. Petizian, with an easy conversion of a rebound into an open net, after Pinard's initial shot and Pinard again at 5:02 to make it 4-0. Pinard led all REDS goal scorers with 19 in 29 regular season games. Six of them came in three games against the Aigles Bleus.

He couldn't explain his success.

"It's a French team and I'm French," he said. "I don't know if it's that. I like to play against them. It's my type of game. They play fast." 

REDS goaltender Samuel Richard (Ste. Catherine QC) had a relatively easy night between the pipes. The Moncton goal came on just their 11th shot of the game at 10:42 of the second period, on a power-play, Vincent Deslauriers (Blainville QC) ripping a shot from the right wing. Richard robbed Samuel Guilbault (Varennes, QC) on a breakaway a couple of minutes later, perhaps his biggest save of the night.

Moncton's only real offensive thrusts came on the power-play, but the REDS successfully killed six of the seven penalties whistled against them.

Cole Mackay (Sault Ste. Marie,ON) added to the offensive onslaught at 13:09 to make it 5-1, setting the stage for a chippy contest the rest of the way.

Petizian, with his second of the game, and MacAuley Carson (Midhurst, ON), with his second in as many nights, scored 11 seconds apart early in the third to run it to 7-1, much to the joy of 2,509 fans.

The REDS outshot the Aigles Bleus 48-24 on the night.

The Aigles Bleus will try to stave off elimination when they host the REDS Tuesday night at the J. Louis Levesque Arena. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.

RECAP BY: Bill Hunt/for UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Rob Blanchard/for UNB Athletics