(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS built a 3-0 lead then hung on to beat the Saint Mary's Huskies 3-2 in Atlantic University Sport men's hockey action Friday night at UNB's Aitken Centre.
"That was big for us," said REDS' goalie Griffen Outhouse (Williams Lake, BC). "It could've gone a little better, a little easier, but you have to battle through adversity, you have to grind out the wins, you have to be gritty and that's exactly what we were today."
The game was played before a Soldier Appreciation Night crowd of 3323.
Many of those in attendance were wearing their Canadian Forces uniforms.
The home team wasted little time in getting the big crowd involved, scoring just 2:41 into the first period on their third shot on goal.
Sean McGurn (Ottawa, ON) capitalized on a neutral zone turnover, carried the puck into the Huskies zone and fired a shot. The puck caromed off the end boards, right to Benjamin Corbeil (Granby, QC) who fired it past a sprawling Jeremy Helvig (Kingston, ON) in the Saint Mary's net.
The teams traded goals in the second period with UNB going ahead by three on goals by Austen Keating (Guelph, ON) and Mike Petizian (Mississauga, ON) before the Huskies answered with goals from Charlie Dafonseca (Thornhill, ON) and Reid Valade (Caledon, ON).
Tied 3-2 after two periods, the teams then settled into a defensive struggle where both Outhouse and Helvig provided big saves when needed.
Outhouse made 25 saves and was named the Tim Horton's Player of the Game and winner of the Fallen Soldier Award.
"I'm very grateful for the country that I live in and the people that we have here who serve," said Outhouse. "For me, I just wanted to go out and battle in the crease for them and I tried my best to do that."
With the win, UNB is now 25-0-0-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL) and remain atop the AUS standings.
The Huskies are 13-11-1-0.
"Down 3-0, when you have a team that responds like that, we played with the right emotion and I'm really proud of our guys," said Huskies' head coach Tyler Naugler. "We had some great leadership moments on the bench when we went down 3-0 and I thought we played with the right emotion and in between periods it was about responding in the right way and believing in ourselves. We have full belief in our commitment and our discipline, and we showed it in the second and third periods."
Adam McCormick (Waterville, NB) had two assists for the REDS.
"Every single guy on this team played a gritty game and we're lucky to come out with the win," said Outhouse.
Next up for the Huskies, a visit to Moncton on Saturday afternoon. Game time is 4:00pm.
The REDS return to action Saturday night as they host Acadia in the annual Mark Jeffrey Memorial Game. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00pm.
RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Fran Harris/for UNB Athletics