(SAINT JOHN, NB) The UNB REDS erupted for three goals in the second half to beat the Mount Allison Mounties 4-1 on Friday, at the Canada Games Stadium, at UNB Saint John.
The Mounties caught a bit of a sleepy UNB team by surprise, scoring in the 8th minute.
Jack Bennett (Falmouth, NS) finished a nice play to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead.
"Our main thing was not to come out flat against them, because they'd have punished us then, so getting that first goal was a big booster in the first half," said Mounties' captain Cody Kroczynski (Regina, SK).
That goal seemed to spark the REDS, who tied the game 1-1 on a Grant Takacs (Woodstock, ON) goal in the 27th minute.
The teams went to the break even at one.
The REDS left nothing to chance in the second half, scoring three quick goals in a nine-minute span.
Roan Saengmeng (Charlottetown, PE) put the REDS ahead in the 48th minute.
Lars Gierull (Ottawa, ON) followed in the 50th minute and Joe Hamilton (Morecambe, UK) added another in the 57th minute.
"At half time we had a team talk. We knew we'd have to score early because it was 1-1 at the half and this is a team we knew we could beat," said Saengmeng, named Subway Player of the Game. "Overall, it was a team performance. Fortunately, I was the one who got a goal to give us the momentum."
With the win, the REDS finish the Atlantic University Sport season with a 7-4-1 record, good for third place.
"This puts us on two wins in a row now, going hard into the playoffs," said Saengmeng. "Hopefully, we can carry this into the first game and get a big win."
The Mounties finish the season winless, at 0-12.
"The team morale is high, surprisingly so, even after finishing a season like this," said Kroczynski.
With this being the regular season finale for both sides, the REDS recognized their graduating student-athletes in a pre-game ceremony.
Takacs, Hamilton, Tom Pheulpin, Mathew Quigley and Matt Boem were all playing their final home games for the REDS.
RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Kevin Barrett/for UNB Athletics