REDS Regain 1st Place With Wednesday Win

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS moved atop the Atlantic University Sport standings with an 8-2 win over the visiting Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus on Wednesday night.

The REDS have now won five in a row.

"We had a good start and got some separation in the second," said REDS head coach Gardiner MacDougall. "We had all four lines going and six D, and Sam (Richard) was tremendous, so it's a good foundation."

Brady Gilmour (Grafton, ON) had four assists to lead the REDS, while Austen Keating (Guelph, ON) and Simon Pinard (Drummondville, QC) each scored twice and added an assist.

Gilmour was named Subway Player of the Game.

"We know we're going to get the best out of every team that we play in this league, so it's important that we have the big starts and I think we had that tonight," said Keating.

"In a 3-2 game, you might want to change things and try to force things, but our group does a really good job of keeping it simple and doing things that make us who we are, so we need to stick to that."

UNB's Cole MacKay (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) opened the scoring at the 6:14 mark of the first. He found a bouncing puck in front of the Moncton net and shovelled it past goalie Ètienne Montpetit (Valleyfield, QC).

Thomas Cusson (Cowansville, QC) tied it 1-1 about five minutes later, but the REDS scored twice late in the first period to lead 3-1 after 20 minutes.

Moncton's Vincent Deslauriers (Blainville, QC) scored early in the second period, bringing the visitors within one, but the REDS then scored five unanswered goals, taking an 8-2 lead after two periods.

There was no scoring in the third period.

"There were a couple of bad bounces, quickly, and with a team like this, here, if we're not skating with them, they make you pay every time," said Moncton head coach Derek Cormier. "We know we can compete with them, they're one of the top teams in the league and when they're firing, they're firing. It was a good lesson for our guys. If you want to play with the big boys, you've got to come to play every night."

Adam McCormick (Waterville, NB), Justin Nolet (Mississauga, ON) and Mike Petizian (Missisauga, ON) had the other goals for UNB.

Samuel Richard (Ste. Catherine, QC) earned the win in the REDS' net, stopping 19 of the 21 shots he faced.

Montpetit made 21 saves on 28 shots, taking the loss.

Félix-Anthony Ethier (Deux-Montagnes, QC) gave up one goal on the five shots he faces in just over seven minutes of relief in the Moncton net.

"Our second period was really strong tonight," said REDS defenceman Connor Hall (Kitchener, ON). "That was a big separator for us but going forward we just have to take it game by game."

With the win, the REDS are now 6-2-0-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL). Moncton is now 6-3-0-0.

UNB's next action comes Friday when they visit UPEI.

Moncton will host UPEI on Saturday.

"We've used the adversity we've faced, and the guys have gone to a new level in practice," said MacDougall. "We've just got to continue that now."

RECAP AND PHOTOS BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics