UNB gets just one point out of six

The Reds let a 2-0 lead slip in the final 25 minutes of action against the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers to draw 2-2 on Saturday. To make matters worse, the league-leading Cape Breton Capers came to the BMO Centre on Sunday and weathered a ferocious UNB attack to win 2-1.

With the lone point, UNB has earned seven points with their 1-5-4 record. The Reds sit eighth overall and four points out of the sixth and final playoff spot with three games left - all of which are on the road.

It seems to be that sort of year for the Reds. Answers escaped them after Sunday's match, which saw a number of players collapse after the final whistle, exhausted and exasperated.

"Earlier in the year, we were losing games for what I call the right reason and it was obvious why we were losing games, and over the last month, some days I've felt we deserved better," said head coach Miles Pinsent.

"I always tell the boys, 'You get what you earn in this league,' but that sentiment is starting to get stretched a little bit."

On Saturday, the hometown Reds played a masterful first hour against the Panthers, dictating the play and capitalizing on their chances. UNB opened the scoring on a strong solo effort from Shea Nordheim, who surged towards the goal and sniped one past UPEI keeper Dave Feener. Third-year striker Sam Boateng found twine in the second half before the Panthers mounted their comeback. Miscues committed by the UNB midfield and fullbacks proved costly as Giuseppe Schichilone and Jared Murphy scored late to save the draw for the visitors.

"If you make little mistakes and lapses, teams punish you for it," said Pinsent. "Unfortunately, we haven't been able to limit the number of those lapses, and if we do have the lapses, we don't counter them with our own goals. That's really been our downfall."

The trend continued on Sunday as Capers forward Ian Greedy potted in his seventh and eighth goals of the season past a napping UNB defence in the first half.

Veteran Capers keeper Andrew Murphy made a couple of impressive stops on point-blank strikes from Boateng and received some help from his crossbar and defender Darius Cox, who saved a sure goal off the line that Jason Bessey trickled past Murphy. Ben Law cut the lead to 2-1 with less than 10 minutes to play. "We're building every weekend - getting better and better, but we're not getting the bounces we need," said third-year player William Allen.