Huskies end first half with loss to Reds

(Halifax, NS) In the final game of AUS men's hockey action before the winter break, the third place Saint Mary's Huskies fell 8-1 to the second place UNB Reds at the Dauphinee Centre.

UNB opened the scoring three minutes into the period. Coming into the zone, Samuel Dove-McFalls (Montreal, QC) sent a long wrist shot that slipped past SMU goalie Xavier Potvin (Austin, QC). Oliver Cooper (Fredericton, NB) and Marcus McIvor (Whitby, ON) assisted on the goal.

Anthony Repaci (Toronto, ON) had a couple of chances on breakaways, but the Reds extended their lead with nine minutes to go. A shot from the point from Joe Gatenby (Kelowna, BC) landed on the stick of Brady Gilmour (Grafton, ON) who was set up just behind the SMU defenders. He made a nice deke before sliding the puck inside the net on his forehand.

Saint Mary's responded with a nice give and go between Mitchell Balmas (Sydney, NS) and Jacob Friend (Bowmanville, ON). Coming down the right wing, Balmas dished it to Friend on the other side of the ice, who sent it back for a snapshot that went short side on goalie Samuel Harvey (Alma, QC) as the Huskies got on the board. Logan DeNoble (Peterborough, ON) also assisted on the goal.

The Reds got back in control with three and a half minutes to go. McIvor on the half wall passed to Matthew Boucher (Los Angeles, CA) on the back door for an easy tap in, putting the Reds up 3-1 to end the first period.

UNB took control of the game in the second frame, scoring three unanswered and outshooting the Huskies 15-3.

With 12 minutes to go, Boucher came down the high slot and drew the attention of both Huskies defenders before sending a backhand pass to Tyler Boland (St. John's, NL) for a low shot that made the back of the net.

The Huskies had a shorthanded chance as Sam King (Hampton, NB) forced a turnover and winning the race to the puck, had a breakaway. Harvey made a nice pad save on the play to keep the score at 4-1.

The Reds got another goal with five and a half minutes to go with a shot from the point from Gatenby. Boland assisted.

With two minutes in the second frame, UNB scored again. Kris Bennett (Brampton, NB), fighting off a check, drove to the net before flipping a high backhand shot over the shoulder of Potvin to make it 6-1 for the Reds.

The Huskies made a goaltender change in the third period, when Marc Terriault (Montreal, QC) was in net for the Huskies.

Four minutes into the period, Alexandre Goulet (Disraeli, QC) scored for the Reds, to make it 7-1 for the Reds.             

The Reds scored again halfway through the final frame. On the power play, Dove-McFalls got his second goal of the game as Cooper and Matt Murphy (Woodstock, NB) got the assists.

The Huskies had several power plays in the closing minutes of the game, including nearly a full two minutes of a five on three, but couldn't muster up enough puck luck to cut down the Reds' lead as UNB came away with an 8-1 win.

The Subway Player of the Game was UNB's Brady Gilmour.

The AUS resumes action in January, with the Huskies hosting the UPEI Panthers on Jan. 2 and the Reds returning to Halifax to take on the Dalhousie Tigers on Jan. 3.

Sarah Moore, SMU

Photo Mona Ghiz