(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Reds rode an early goal and a late insurance marker to their first win of the season, a 2-0 upset of the Atlantic University Sport leading and U SPORTS No. 9 Acadia Axemen.
Tristan Nkoghe (Sherbrooke, QC) scored the game's first goal in the 4th minute, a long shot that seemed to fool Axemen keeper Pietro Nottegar (Dartmouth, NS).
"I turned and saw that I was open, so I just shot and it went in," said Nkoghe, who was named Subway Player of the Game. "I think he(Nottegar) misplayed it a bit, so that's where I was lucky, but you don't score on the shots you don't take."
Both teams settled after that, with Acadia coming close on several first half chances.
Grant Takacs (Woodstock, ON) scored in the 89th minute, after catching the Acadia defence pushing forward. Takacs took a pass from Ben Gorringe (Truro, NS), beat one defender and fired a sharp shot past Nottegar.
The final whistle blew moments later.
"It's a good feeling. We were well prepared for this game, we were a bit frantic at times, but we were able to pull through and get that win," said Nkoghe.
With the loss, Acadia is now 4-1-0 while the Reds improve to 1-2-2.
Fourth-year Axemen defender Zach Visser (Winsloe South, PE) was frustrated with the team's first loss.
"We were coming off four wins and I think some guys were starting to get a little complacent and didn't realize that games in this league were going to be tough," he said.
Visser says Nkoghe's goal, so early in the game, was a setback.
"That early goal really killed us," he said. "We came back after that and started taking it to them. I thought we had a lot of chances, a couple of screamers that went wide and some good crosses and opportunities, but that early goal hurt us coming out of the gate."
The Axemen travel to Sackville on Sunday to face the Mount Allison Mounties.
The Reds are on the road too.
UNB visits Moncton, in a 3:15pm scheduled start.
RECAP AND PHOTOS BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics