Huskies Win OT Thriller

(FREDERICTON, NB) Alexander Peters (Blyth, ON) scored 1:51 into overtime to give the visiting Saint Mary's Huskies a 4-3 win over the UNB Reds.

Peters was the third man into the Reds zone on a Huskies push.

He took a pass from Dawson Theede (Brooklin, ON) and fired a wrist shot past Reds goalie Rylan Parenteau (Saskatoon, SK).

"Every once in a while it goes in," said Peters. "I was just happy we could get the 'W.'"

On a night when 3195 fans filled UNB's Aitken Centre with electricity, the Reds and Huskies provided plenty of excitement and drama.

It didn't take long for UNB to get the large crowd into the game.

Cam Brace (Etobicoke, ON) skated into the slot just 1:07 into the first period and snapped a shot high, blocker side, on Huskies goalie Eric Brassard (St. Hubert, QC), giving the home team an early 1-0 advantage.

Saint Mary's tied the game 1-1 at 12:22 of the first, when Jake Coughler (St. Catharine's, ON) took a perfectly-placed centering pass from Hunter Garlent (Thorold, ON) and beat Parenteau with a one-timer.

The Reds struck again early in the second.

Just 1:54 in, Matt Murphy's (Woodstock, NB) point shot was kicked out by Brassard, right onto the stick of Samuel Dove-McFalls (Montreal, QC), who fired it into the Huskies' net.

UNB pushed the lead to 3-1 at 8:29 of the second.

Olivier LeBlanc (Quebec City, QC) carried the puck over the blue-line, dropping it for Chris Clapperton (Cap d'Espoir, QC), who fired a quick shot past Brassard.

At 13:02, Dylan Di Perna (Nobleton, ON) closed the gap, going bar down on Parenteau, shortly after the Huskies had killed a penalty, making the score 3-2 UNB.

The Reds dominated possession in the second period and generated numerous scoring chances, but were only able to connect on two goals.

"I thought we had a good second, but our first wasn't good enough," said Clapperton. "They dominated the third. It's supposed to be our period, and we didn't do that tonight."

Saint Mary's tied it 3-3, at 7:07 of the third.

On the power-play, Di Perna scored his second of the game, an unassisted goal.

Just past the mid-way point of the third, the Huskies were buzzing around the Reds net, looking to take the lead. Parenteau made a sensational effort on a cross-crease move, pushing a Saint Mary's shot aside to keep the score 3-3.

Then, just moments into the extra time, the Reds turned the puck over at their own blue line.

Austyn Hardie (Halifax, NS) took it in all alone, but Parenteau stretched to make another brilliant save.

Peters scored the winner a short time later, earning Subway Player of the Game honours.

"It's a great character win for us," said Peters. "We've got to work on our starts, but we battled back and got some momentum and it's a good thing to build off."

"It's disappointing, because you have a lead at home and a good energized crowd," said Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall. "There's disappointment on that end, but at the other end, you see what needs to get better, and you need those moments where you've got to improve parts of your game."

The Huskies now head to Charlottetown for a Saturday date with the Panthers. Game time is 7:00pm.

The Reds play host to the Acadia Axemen, Saturday afternoon. Game time is 4:00pm.

That game will feature UNB's 3^rd annual Teddy Bear Toss.

Fans are urged to bring new or slightly used stuffed animals to the game and throw them onto the ice when UNB's first goal is scored, or the first whistle after the 10:00 mark of the third period.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Lauren Tidd/for UNB Athletics