(ANTIGONISH, NS) The UNB REDS held on for a 5-3 win on the road against the STFX X-Men on Saturday evening.
Brady Gilmour (Grafton, ON) and Jason Wilms (Kitchner, ON) each had a goal and an assist and Griffen Outhouse (Williams Lake, BC) made 19 saves as UNB extended their unbeaten streak to 12 games.
It was the X-Men that opened the scoring, just five minutes into the game. Declan Smith (Antigonish, NS) hit a streaking Zack Trott (Mulmur, ON) with a breakaway pass, and Trott buried it five-hole to make it 1-0.
UNB tied it up about six minutes later. Gilmour fired a low shot through a screen, off passes from Adam McCormick (Waterville, NB) and Willms.
A dynamite save by STFX goalie Joseph Raaymakers (Chatham, ON) in the final four minutes kept the score even until Logan Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) put STFX back in the lead. Charlie Callaghan (Toronto, ON) made a cross ice pass inside the UNB zone to Josh Nelson (Lockport, IL), who found Chisholm open in front of the net for the powerplay goal.
UNB continued to bring the heat in the second period, and were rewarded about seven minutes in. Michael Petizian (Mississauga, ON) came in on a two-on-one before passing to Willms who passed it back to Petizian for the score.
The potent UNB powerplay broke the deadlock with seven minutes left in the period, with Willms going top corner off a one-timer from Gilmour and McCormick.
Raaymakers continued his strong play, stopping a breakaway late in the period, but UNB was able to double their lead, with Benjamin Corbeil (Granby, QC) tipping home a point shot from Justin Nolet (Mississauga, ON) with under two minutes to go.
Things got chippy in the third period and a STFX powerplay got the home crowd back into the game with about five minutes left to play. Reagan Wiles (Calgary AB) got the puck to Matthew Struthers (Milton, ON) on the point, who fired a shot through traffic for a goal that made it 4-3 REDS.
STFX fought hard to even the score, but UNB's Isaac Nurse (Hamilton, ON) wrapped things up with an empty net goal in the last minute.
Petizian was named the first star and player of the game.
The X-Men are on the road Wednesday, to take on Dalhousie.
UNB is home Friday to take on the Acadia Axemen. Game time is 7:00pm.
Ahead of Friday's game, the REDS will unveil a banner commemorating long-time athletic therapist Joe Glenn, who passed away earlier this year.
RECAP: Matt Draper/for STFX Athletics
PHOTOS: Bryan Kennedy/for STFX Athletics