Reds Blast Panthers
UNB over UPEI 11-0
(FREDERICTON, NB) The line of Tyler Boland (St. John's, NL), Stephen Anderson (Morell, PE) and Patrick Watling (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) wreaked havoc on the UPEI Panthers all night Friday, scoring a combined 12 points in an 11-0 UNB Reds win.
With the win, UNB clinched an Atlantic University Sport playoff berth.
Boland, who registered a hat-trick and added two assists, was named the Subway Player of the Game.
"Those two guys [Anderson and Watling] are exceptional," said the third year Red. "We're really communicating with each other and playing as a unit more so than individuals out there."
Just over five minutes into the game, Boland walked off the half-wall on the power-play and put home a wrist shot to give the Reds the early 1-0 lead.
Boland would make the Panthers pay for another penalty, converting a beautiful feed to the front of the net by Anderson for his second goal to put UNB up 2-0.
Just 2:48 later, Alexandre Goulet (Disraeli, QC) continued the parade to the front of the Panthers net to make it 3-0 Reds after the first period.
The Reds offence would continue to surge just four minutes into the second with Kris Bennett (Brampton, ON) cleaning up a rebound off a shot from Brady Gilmour (Grafton, ON) to make it 4-0.
Anderson would add another just 52 seconds later to make it 5-0.
Anderson would continue to roll late in the period, feeding a cross-crease pass to Watling to make it 6-0.
Tristan Pomerleau (Riviere-du-Loup, QC) scored the Reds' third power-play goal of the game to make it 7-0 at second intermission.
UNB would start the third period killing a lengthy 5-on-3, but Matt Murphy (Fredericton, NB) sprung Connor Hall (Cambridge, ON) out of the penalty box, and he made it 8-0.
Boland would put home his hat-trick goal shortly after, making it a 9-0 game, and Gilmour would follow with the 10-0 marker just nine seconds later.
Mark Rassell (Calgary, AB) scored with less five minutes to play, pushing UNB's lead to 11-0.
The Reds outshot UPEI 45-22.
Special teams play was a difference in the game as the Reds went 3-for-8 on the power-play, while the Panthers were 0-for-8.
"When your power-play is going well and then your penalty kill is stopping everything the other way, especially that 5-on-3 at the beginning of the third period, it helps the team overall," said Boland.
Rylan Parenteau (Saskatoon, SK) made 22 saves to get the shutout for the Reds, while Simon Holfey (Ottawa, ON) made 34 in a losing effort for the Panthers.
The Reds improve to 16-and-4 and will travel to Moncton on Saturday to take on the Aigles Bleus. Game time is 7:00pm.
The Panthers drop to 8-10-3 and will await another meeting with the Reds, on Tuesday night, in Charlottetown. Tuesday's game was originally scheduled for November 16th, 2019, but was re-scheduled when the Reds couldn't cross the Confederation Bridge due to weather.
RECAP BY: Jonathon James/for UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics