Boland Scores Shootout Winner

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PE) Tyler Boland (St. John's, NL) scored the only goal of the shootout to lift the UNB REDS to a 3-2 win over the UPEI Panthers, in Charlottetown, on Saturday.

On UNB's last visit to UPEI, Boland scored in overtime to give the REDS a road win.

Goaltender Griffen Outhouse (Williams Lake, BC) was solid in the REDS net, turning aside 29 shots in regulation time and overtime, then three more in the shootout.

"We knew we were going to come in and have a tough game here, but I thought we were prepared and we just had a little bit more to us in the end," Outhouse said.

The Panthers, who came out of the gate hungry for a win, got to the netminder four minutes into the opening period when Jaden Peca (Woodbridge, ON) tipped in Matt Brassard's (Barrie, ON) shot from the point for his first of the season.

Outhouse came up big three and a half minutes later when, on a UPEI two-on-one, he denied an Owen Headrick (Garden River First Nation) backhand attempt. Shortly after, Peca centred a pass to Jesse Sutton (Paradise, NL) in front, where Outhouse made another big stop.

Those stops proved pivotal as the REDS would even the score at 19:09. Seconds after a faceoff win, James McEwan (Chatham, ON) centred a pass to Samuel Dove-McFalls (Montreal, QC), who put away the one-timer from the left circle for the power-play marker.

A gritty defensive effort from both teams kept the game locked until the midway point of the third when Dove-McFalls sent the puck along the boards to Ross MacDougall (St. Stephen, NB), who wired a shot past Jonah Capriotti (Charlottetown, PE) for the go-ahead goal.

With time running out, the Panthers pulled Capriotti. With the extra man, they'd find the equalizer they were looking for, Filip Rydstrom (Vallentuna, SWE) scoring the tying goal.

"Both teams came out to play, and no one quit," Outhouse, named Subway Player of the Game, said. "It was a fun game that went back and forth."

Outhouse regrouped for the shootout, where he turned aside all three shots and locked down the win.

"If I had the choice, we'd win in regulation," he said. "But part of me enjoys playing in a shootout. It's the only time the goalie can really do their own little celebration."

UPEI's next action is Friday, when they host StFX.

The REDS return home and will welcome Acadia to the Aitken Centre on Friday. Game time is 7:00pm.

RECAP BY: Thomas Becker/for UPEI Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Janessa Hogan/for UPEI Athletics