Carroll comes through in OT
January 30, 2012
AUS hockey | UNB edges Dal 3-2 before full house
Sometimes just closing your eyes and firing the puck works.
Well, at least it did for Tyler Carroll when he picked up a rebound along the goal line in the corner and whirled around with a wrist shot that careened off netminder Wendell Vye and in after 3:09 of overtime play to give the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds a 3-2 to win over the Dalhousie Tigers on Saturday night.
In a tight-checking, low-scoring affair at the Aitken University Centre, it seemed as though a wild goal would be needed to break the deadlock. And all Carroll had to do was throw it on net .
'I could tell you some big story that I was going to bank if off, but I just threw it on net,' said Carroll, who picked up two goals and an assist in the win.
Although limiting the Tigers to just 13 shots, UNB had a difficult time creating quality scoring chances, with the majority of shots coming from a distance or not at all, with players electing to find the perfect pass instead of shooting. The Reds were well off their usual pace of registering over 35 shots a game, ending regulation at just 25.
However, head coach Gardiner MacDougall can overlook the ugliness and be happy his squad grinded out the final two points of a massive four-point weekend homestand.
'The thing about the AUS is you have the resiliency of each team,'
MacDougall said. 'You lose a game and it seems to be a stepping stone for teams to come up with a better performance.
'The bottom line is to find a way to get four points at home.' The victory over Dalhousie coupled with a 7-1 rampage over Acadia on Friday has the Varsity Reds seated atop the Atlantic University Sport men's hockey standings once again. The Reds (16-5-2) hold a slim two-point advantage over Saint Mary's (15-7-2), Acadia (15-7-2) and Moncton (16-7).
'Winning is not easy in this league this season, and you've got to find ways to win the one-goal games,' MacDougall said.
It was a surprising Tigers club that visited the AUC, having been defeated 10-1 and 9-2 in their two previous meetings with the Reds. Dalhousie was effective in not allowing the Reds to set up offensively and work their patented cycle play down low.
Shayne Wiebe managed to find a chink in the Tigers' armor late in the first, though, tipping a cross-ice feed from Carroll past Vye.
The combination of Carroll, Wiebe and Chris Culligan was effective all night long, playing strong in both ends of the ice.
'What we worked on in practice is becoming a two-way team,' Mac-Dougall said. 'The important thing is to be strong defensively on the right side of pucks. We know the better we play defensively, the better opportunities we'll get off the transition.' The trio combined for six points during the game, as Culligan picked up a pair of helpers. The line struck again early in the third with Carroll tipping in a Jonathan Harty slapshot to go up 2-1 after David MacDonald blasted a power play equalizer past Travis Fullerton late in the second.
'We've played together off and on the past couple of months, and Wiebe's a great addition,' said Carroll. 'I'm not the fastest guy, but I can get up there with them, so it's nice to play with two fast guys. We seem to find each other pretty good, and it's working out so far.' The Reds got into some penalty trouble right after the go-ahead goal, and 1:35 later Brendan MacDonald poked in a loose puck in the slot to draw even on the power play.
Carroll said the squad just stuck with it and kept bringing the passion their coach asked of them in the second intermission.
'We came out in the third and definitely showed that. There were a few unlucky bounces and we seemed to pull it out. I guess when the games get big and the times get tough we step up our game.' Fullerton, who made his second consecutive start after being sidelined with an injury, picked up his eighth win of the season, making 11 saves. Vye was handed the loss, surrendering three goals on 34 shots.
'(Fullerton) is a gamer; he's a proven winner,' MacDougall said. 'He's very fit and very focused, and he wants to go places he hasn't been.' The Reds travel to Nova Scotia next weekend for a rematch against Acadia on Friday and Dalhousie on Saturday.
Sometimes just closing your eyes and firing the puck works.
Well, at least it did for Tyler Carroll when he picked up a rebound along the goal line in the corner and whirled around with a wrist shot that careened off netminder Wendell Vye and in after 3:09 of overtime play to give the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds a 3-2 to win over the Dalhousie Tigers on Saturday night.
In a tight-checking, low-scoring affair at the Aitken University Centre, it seemed as though a wild goal would be needed to break the deadlock. And all Carroll had to do was throw it on net .
'I could tell you some big story that I was going to bank if off, but I just threw it on net,' said Carroll, who picked up two goals and an assist in the win.
Although limiting the Tigers to just 13 shots, UNB had a difficult time creating quality scoring chances, with the majority of shots coming from a distance or not at all, with players electing to find the perfect pass instead of shooting. The Reds were well off their usual pace of registering over 35 shots a game, ending regulation at just 25.
However, head coach Gardiner MacDougall can overlook the ugliness and be happy his squad grinded out the final two points of a massive four-point weekend homestand.
'The thing about the AUS is you have the resiliency of each team,'
MacDougall said. 'You lose a game and it seems to be a stepping stone for teams to come up with a better performance.
'The bottom line is to find a way to get four points at home.' The victory over Dalhousie coupled with a 7-1 rampage over Acadia on Friday has the Varsity Reds seated atop the Atlantic University Sport men's hockey standings once again. The Reds (16-5-2) hold a slim two-point advantage over Saint Mary's (15-7-2), Acadia (15-7-2) and Moncton (16-7).
'Winning is not easy in this league this season, and you've got to find ways to win the one-goal games,' MacDougall said.
It was a surprising Tigers club that visited the AUC, having been defeated 10-1 and 9-2 in their two previous meetings with the Reds. Dalhousie was effective in not allowing the Reds to set up offensively and work their patented cycle play down low.
Shayne Wiebe managed to find a chink in the Tigers' armor late in the first, though, tipping a cross-ice feed from Carroll past Vye.
The combination of Carroll, Wiebe and Chris Culligan was effective all night long, playing strong in both ends of the ice.
'What we worked on in practice is becoming a two-way team,' Mac-Dougall said. 'The important thing is to be strong defensively on the right side of pucks. We know the better we play defensively, the better opportunities we'll get off the transition.' The trio combined for six points during the game, as Culligan picked up a pair of helpers. The line struck again early in the third with Carroll tipping in a Jonathan Harty slapshot to go up 2-1 after David MacDonald blasted a power play equalizer past Travis Fullerton late in the second.
'We've played together off and on the past couple of months, and Wiebe's a great addition,' said Carroll. 'I'm not the fastest guy, but I can get up there with them, so it's nice to play with two fast guys. We seem to find each other pretty good, and it's working out so far.' The Reds got into some penalty trouble right after the go-ahead goal, and 1:35 later Brendan MacDonald poked in a loose puck in the slot to draw even on the power play.
Carroll said the squad just stuck with it and kept bringing the passion their coach asked of them in the second intermission.
'We came out in the third and definitely showed that. There were a few unlucky bounces and we seemed to pull it out. I guess when the games get big and the times get tough we step up our game.' Fullerton, who made his second consecutive start after being sidelined with an injury, picked up his eighth win of the season, making 11 saves. Vye was handed the loss, surrendering three goals on 34 shots.
'(Fullerton) is a gamer; he's a proven winner,' MacDougall said. 'He's very fit and very focused, and he wants to go places he hasn't been.' The Reds travel to Nova Scotia next weekend for a rematch against Acadia on Friday and Dalhousie on Saturday.