REDS Win, Wild Finish
(FREDERICTON, NB) Chaos reigned over the final minutes of Friday's UNB REDS Atlantic University Sport home opener against the Memorial Sea-Hawks.
When the dust settled at UNB's BMO Centre, the REDS emerged with a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
Here's what happened.
With the REDS holding that one goal lead and the game into five minutes of added time, UNB appeared to add a third goal, but the home-team was ruled offside.
The Sea-Hawks restarted quickly and caught the REDS celebrating instead of defending. But, amazingly, they couldn't take advantage, sending the ball wide of an empty UNB net at the other end.
Play continued until the final whistle and the REDS won for the second time in three Atlantic University Sport starts.
"I thought he was on-side," said REDS' striker Keji Adeniyi (London, UK). "Then I turned and saw our keeper up and one of their players and luckily their player missed the open goal. Not very lucky for them, but we'll take it."
Adeniyi, the reigning AUS MVP, opened the scoring in the 17th minute off a Myers Hayne (Antigonish, NS) free kick.
Sea-Hawks keeper and former RED Louis-Charles Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, QC) couldn't corral a bouncing ball in the box. Adeniyi got to it and drove it high into the Memorial net.
"Keji's a great player," said Vaillancourt. "I'm happy I got a save on the first shot, but he got the rebound, it happens."
The REDS held their 1-0 lead through the end of the first half and extended it shortly after the half-time break.
Roan Saengmeng (Charlottetown, PE) took a long pass and cut across the top of the 18-yard box before dropping the ball for second-year REDS midfielder Alex Oprea (Winnipeg, MB). He slipped the ball past Vaillancourt to put the home team up 2-0.
After some sustained pressure in the UNB zone, Memorial got on the board in the 63rd minute on a goal by Cabhan O'Keefe (Lawn, NL).
Both sides pushed each other in the waning minutes before the bizarre finish, and the REDS came away with the win.
The loss was the first of the season for the Sea-Hawks.
"It's a tough loss for sure," said Vaillancourt. "It's disappointing to drop points when we had a chance to grab some, but we have to move on to the next game now."
Adeniyi's goal moved him atop the AUS scoring race and earned him Tim Horton's Player of the Game honours.
"Towards the end, it was a bit shaky, but we managed to hold them off, so I'm happy with it," he said.
With the win, the REDS move into a three-way tie for first in the AUS standings with the Sea-Hawks and Cape Breton University Capers.
Memorial will visit Moncton on Sunday before returning home while the REDS won't see action until next Saturday (Sept. 16th), when they host the Acadia Axemen. Game time is scheduled for 3:15pm.
RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics