SASKATOON - The University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds continued their playoff dominance in the opening game of the University Cup championship, scoring a pair on the power play en route to a 3-1 win over the Saskatchewan Huskies last night at the Credit Union Centre.

Defenseman Daine Todd had a three-point night for UNB, scoring the game-tying goal and adding two assists, while Tyler Carroll ad Antoine Houde-Caron also scored for the V-Reds in the win.

After a scoreless first, the Huskies capitalized with the man advantage five minutes into the second, with Jimmy Bubnick burying the rebound off a Kyle Bortis wrap-around attempt to give the Huskies an early lead as the 5,865 fans in attendance erupted with their team ahead.

But midway through the frame Todd tied it up on the power play, taking a MacNeil cross-slot pass, and just narrowly burying his first of the tournament. The referee didn't make a call on the goal right away as the puck trickled along the goal line, but after talking it over with his colleagues and the goal judge, he ruled good goal.

Replays showed the puck crossed the line by a fraction of an inch.

Late in the frame UNB went back to the power play, and as the Huskies tried to clear the zone, Chris Culligan came flying off the bench on a line change to keep the puck in, and the play alive.

He fed it down low to Todd, who one-touched passed it to Carroll in the slot, and ripped a one-timer top corner giving UNB the lead.

"Cully made a great play coming off the bench when [Colby Pridham] got off," said MacDougall on the goal. "We kept it in, we made a play, and we scored. It's such a fine line, but a big difference as well."

Todd wasn't done the heroics just yet as late in the third he corralled the puck in his own zone, then took up down ice drawing two Huskie defenders, and feeding an open Houde-Caron for the insurance marker.

"I think obviously going from forward to defence I'm always going to try and play an offensive role," said Todd. "That's what I try and contribute every day. I'm not a big guy, I'm not going to be really physical, but I'm just trying to create off the back end as much as I can."

Dan LaCosta stopped 23 shots in the win, and earned player of the game honours.

The V-Reds are back on the ice Saturday night at 11 p.m. Atlantic time against l'Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières.