UNB Grounds Sea-Hawks
(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS held off a late surge by the Memorial Sea-Hawks to earn a 2-1 win in their final regular season home game, on Saturday.
The Sea-Hawks got the first scoring chance, in the ninth minute, when Felly Elonda (St. John's, NL) received and chipped a full-field pass over challenging REDS keeper Louis-Charles Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, QC), but just wide of the open goal.
UNB would open the scoring a few minutes later, in the 15th minute, with Keji Adeniyi (London, UK) chipping a well-placed ball just over a sliding Daniel Hanlon (Portugal Cove - St. Phillip's, NL) for a 1-0 REDS lead.
Adeniyi would come close again in the 22nd, controlling the ball deep in the Sea-Hawks box only to have his ensuing shot punched away by Hanlon.
In the 33rd minute, Brent Hennebury (Lawn, NL) placed a dangerous corner kick into the UNB box, but Vaillancourt was able to fight through a mass of bodies in front of him to smother the ball.
The Sea-Hawks would keep the play in the REDS end though and Jacob Grant (St. John's, NL) would fire a close-range strike that would deflect off a UNB defender and the post and stay out.
UNB pushed back the other way, and in the 36th minute draw a penalty kick just inside the Sea-Hawks 18-yard box that Luke Rosettani (Kanata, ON) would make no mistake on for a 2-0 REDS lead at the half.
UNB played smothering defence with lots of controlled possession to preserve their lead through the second half.
Colin Conners (St. John's, NL) just missed a dangerous chance for Memorial in the 57th minute, volleying a deep cross just over the REDS net.
The Sea-Hawks finally got on the board in the 61st minute, with a low cross, deep off the left wing, deflected in off a REDS defender for an own goal to cut the lead to 2-1.
Memorial would come close to equalling the score two minutes later as a low shot from Grant rang off the post.
The Sea-Hawks would come close on two different set pieces in the final ten minutes, both being swept off the goal line by Alex Oprea (Winnipeg, MB) in the 81st minute and Adeniyi, in extra time.
The REDS would emerge with the 2-1 win.
Adeniyi was named Subway Player of the Game.
"Our goal is to get a bye in the playoffs, so we knew we had to put our all into this game, especially the last few minutes," said Adeniyi.
"Our defensive work is important to us so we made sure we had that on lock and it worked."
The REDS improve to 6-1-1 on the season, moving into second place in the AUS standings, while the Sea-Hawks drop to 2-5-1.
Memorial heads to Mount Allison Sunday for a 3:15pm start.
The REDS next action is Saturday, October 21st, when they visit the Saint Mary's Huskies. Game time is 7:15pm.
RECAP BY: Jonathon James/for UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics