REDS Claw Past Panthers
(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS erupted for four goals in a span of less than four minutes in the second period on route to an 8-3 win over the UPEI Panthers in a rare Tuesday night Atlantic University Sport men's hockey game at UNB's Aitken Centre.
The game was a make-up game for one originally scheduled for January 10th.
The home team opened the scoring, on the power-play, just 7:01 into the first period.
Drew Elliott (Musquash, NB) deflected Peter Reynolds' (Fredericton, NB) shot from the top of the face-off circle.
The UNB lead was short-lived as the Panthers answered about seven minutes later with a power-play goal of their own off the stick of Brett Bressette (Penetanguishene, ON).
Cade Kowalski (Morden,MB) gave UPEI a 2-1 lead at 17:52 and the Panthers took that lead to the first intermission.
After struggling with penalty issues early in the second and holding the Panthers at bay, the high-powered UNB offence exploded late in the period.
Reynolds scored at 14:05 to tie the game 2-2.
Kale McCallum (Rothesay, NB) fired a power-play goal at 16:15 to give the REDS the lead.
Camaryn Baber (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) made it a 4-2 game at the 17:00 mark.
42 seconds after Baber's goal, Oliver Peer (Burlington, ON) made it 5-2.
Uncharacteristically, the REDS mustered only 10 shots in the second frame but limited the Panthers to just four.
In the third period, Kaleb Pearson (St. Mary's, ON) pulled the Panthers to within a pair with a goal at 9:42.
But, with the UPEI net empty Cole Huckins buried one from almost 200-feet away with under two minutes to play.
Then, with Joe Ranger (Carp, PE) back between the pipes, UNB added two more in the final minute. Ben Corbeil (Granby, QC), on the power-play, and Elliott with his second of the night 22 seconds later.
Elliott, who finished with a pair of goals and an assist, was named the Tim Horton's Player of the Game.
Colton Kammerer (Brooklin, ON) and Cole MacKay (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) each contributed two assists and Remi Delafontaine (Sherbrooke, QC) made 20 saves on 23 shots for the win in the UNB net.
Ranger, who took the loss, made 26 saves on the 33 shots he faced.
With the win, the REDS improve to 22-1-1-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL). They remain in first place in the AUS standings. The Panthers are now 7-16-0-1, good for sixth place.
The REDS return to action Friday night when they host the Saint Mary's Huskies. It will be Soldier Apprecation Night at the Aitken Centre. Game time is 7:00pm.
The Panthers head to Antigonish Friday to take on the STFX X-Men. That game is also scheduled for a 7:00pm start.
RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics