REDS Advance To U Cup Final, Beat Bold 7-0

(TORONTO, ON) The UNB REDS will defend their national men's university hockey championship on Sunday after a decisive 7-0 win over the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold in the University Cup semi-finals, on Saturday, in Toronto.

Colton Kammerer had a goal and two assists for UNB and was named the REDS player of the game.

"I've been waiting for three years for this, so coming into the tournament I was super excited, and it was a team effort tonight," said Kammerer. "We were very fortunate to get that win, and we're excited for tomorrow."

Brady Gilmour had four assists while Jason Willms and Austen Keating had a goal and an assist each.

Sean McGurn, Kale McCallum, Kade Landry, and Camaryn Baber also scored for the REDS and Samuel Richard made 22 saves for his second shut-out of this University Cup tournament.

The REDS wasted little time in seizing control of the game, scoring just 5:04 into the first period.

Sean McGurn found a loose puck in front of the Bold net and slid it past TMU goalie and fellow Ottawa native Kai Edmonds.

"We kept our foot on the pedal," said Gilmour. "We knew they could come back. It was a big first goal and we were able to build off that in a solid team effort."

Less than two minutes later, Kale McCallum connected on the power-play to give the REDS a 2-0 lead.

Late in the first, Kammerer's shot from the point eluded Edmonds and UNB took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission after outshooting the Bold 24-3.

Just past the two-minute mark of the second period, Keating re-directed a Gilmour pass past Edmonds as UNB extended their lead to 4-0.

Landry's goal came mid-way through the second as he trailed on a rush and pounced on a rebound.

Baber scored just 38 seconds into the third, splitting a pair of TMU defenders and beating Edmonds in highlight reel fashion.

Willms' goal, as the team's played four-on-four, sent most of the remaining Bold fans to the exits.

Several times throughout the game, UNB fans out-cheered Bold fans.

"We've had the best attendance in the country for probably 20 years and they travel well and they're excited," said REDS' head coach Gardiner MacDougall, of the support. "There's a lot of pride in our province, in our city, for this UNB team and every chance they get to perform in front of them, the goal is to try to be a little bit better."

"When you get a UNB chant in Toronto that out volumes the hometown, that's pretty significant for our group," he added.

The win was UNB's third this season over the Bold, following a pair of exhibition wins in September.

It's the first over the Bold in University Cup play for the REDS since a loss to TMU at the 2022 national championship tournament, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

The memory of that game and that result was a factor in Saturday's game.

"A good chunk of our older guys were there at Acadia and went through that heartbreak and it definitely left a bad taste in our mouth," said Gilmour. "Tonight, we were playing for a lot of those guys who were in their last year when that happened. We're happy with the result and we're going to get ready for tomorrow.

The REDS now await the winner of the second U Cup semi-final between the No. 2 seeded UQTR Patriotes and No. 6 McGill Redbirds.

Sunday's gold medal game goes at 5:00pm Eastern/6:00pm Atlantic.

The host Bold will take on the loser of the UQTR-McGill game in the bronze medal game at 11:00am Eastern/12:00pm Atlantic.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTO BY: Shelby MacIsaac/for UNB Athletics