(FREDERICTON, NB) Joe Hamilton (Morcambe, UK) broke open a highly defensive game in the 62nd minute to give the UNB Reds a 1-0 win over l'Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus on Sunday afternoon.
"We created a lot of chances throughout the game, but it was really important that we finished one, and I think, once we got that goal, we felt comfortable that we could see the game out like we did," said Hamilton.
The winning marker earned Hamilton the Subway Player of the Game.
The two teams played to a scoreless first half.
While Moncton created very little danger around the Reds goal, UNB created plenty around the Moncton net right from the start.
The first chance came early, when Keji Adeniyi (London, UK) corralled a through ball in the box between a pair of Moncton defenders that he put just to the left of the goal.
Shortly after, Ben Gorringe (Mount Uniacke, NS) drew a free kick at the top of the box in the 12th minute that Tristan Nkoghe (Sherbrooke, QC) put just right of the goal.
Gorringe would continue to put pressure on the Moncton goal in the 31st minute with a beautiful free kick that just missed the top right corner.
Mario Maldonado (Teguciagalpa, HON) also had a handful of chances, including a blistering shot in the 42nd minute that Andre Leblanc (Dieppe, NB) tipped just over the bar, one of Leblanc's five saves in the half.
The second half seemed to be bringing more of the same, as Leblanc made another huge save in the 61st minute on Adeniyi.
UNB would finally break the deadlock when Hamilton cleaned up a chaotic scramble off a corner kick deep in the Moncton box to make it 1-0.
"Some days we can go and score five and other times we only score the one, but at the end of the day we got three points," said Hamilton
Despite some uncomfortable moments in the last stretch of the game and some key saves from Evan Barker (Winnipeg, MB), the Reds would hang on for the win.
The Reds, now 7-2-2, play their regular season finale at home next Friday, against Cape Breton at 7:15pm.
Moncton falls to 3-6-1 on the season, they will head to Halifax next Friday to play the Saint Mary's Huskies at 5:15pm.
RECAP BY: Jonathon James/for UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics