VReds overpower Huskies 5-2

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Varsity Reds were out for revenge… and they got it against the Saint Mary's University Huskies, scoring a 5-2 win on Friday, in Fredericton.

Last Friday, in Halifax, the Huskies upset the Varsity Reds 4-3, in overtime.

 The win brought UNB, now 18-2-3, within one point of clinching a first-round bye in the Atlantic University Sport playoffs.

Anthony Repaci (Toronto, ON) made UNB pay for turning the puck over in the neutral zone with under four minutes left in the first period. He shot and beat Varsity Reds goalie Etienne Marcoux (Terrebonne, QC) between the legs to get SMU on the board first.

It only took 43 seconds for UNB to answer, as Philippe Maillet (Terrebonne, QC) knocked a rebound past Huskies net minder Cole Cheveldave (Calgary, AB) to tie the game.

Less than three minutes into the second period, Repaci scored his second of the night, before Matt Murphy (Fredericton, NB) got a rebound past Cheveldave at 11:44 to knot things up again.

Francis Beauvilier (St. Hyacinthe, QC) tipped a shot past Cheveldave on a one-timer to put the VReds up 3-2, late in the second period.

"We started out okay, which is typical," said Huskies head coach Trevor Stienburg. "We had some life, and UNB took the life out of us, but this is a tough rink to play in and we don't have the depth we want."

Four minutes into the third period, Matt Petgrave (Brampton, ON) showed a burst of speed while stickhandling around the Huskies' defense and slipped a backhand shot high on Cheveldave's glove side.

Chris Clapperton (Cap Espoir, QC) scored on a slapshot from the left point to complete the scoring.

UNB peppered SMU with 42 shots. Cheveldave stopped 37 of them in the losing effort.

Marcoux made 18 saves on the Huskies' 20 shots.

The Varsity Reds welcome the Acadia Axemen to the Aitken Centre on Saturday. Face-off is scheduled for 7:00pm.

Saint Mary's travels to UPEI.

RECAP: Nathan DeLong/for UNB Athletics

PHOTOS: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics