Welsh shines in goal as Huskies shutout #3 ranked UNB REDS 3-0
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
UNB (1-3-0, 1-3-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Saint Mary's (3-0-0, 3-0-0) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
HALIFAX, NS – Saint Mary's Huskies goaltender Matt Welsh turned away 37 shots as the Huskies improved to 2-0 on the season, defeating the U SPORTS #3 ranked UNB REDS 3-0 on Saturday night at the Dauphinee Centre in Halifax.
The game was part of Huskies homecoming weekend and played in front of 531 fans, including several Huskies men's hockey alumni who gathered for a pre-game reunion.
Just over four minutes into the first period, the Huskies offence delivered some excitement for the fans, as on a three-on-two break forward Andrew Coxhead's (Bedford, NS) shot was saved by REDS goaltender Tanner Sommers (Miramichi, NB), but Huskies forward Bradey Johnson (Lindsay, ON) put the rebound into the back of the net for his third goal of the season.
HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ����
— SMU Huskies (@SMUHuskies) October 15, 2022
Bradey Johnson scores his third of the season to give @SMUMensHockey an early 1-0 lead vs. @UNBAthletics.
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With just over five minutes remaining in the first period, the Huskies offence struck again. Defenceman Jaxon Bellamy (Hampton, NB) had his initial shot stopped, but Jonathan Hampton (Richmond Hill, ON) shoveled the rebound back to a wide-open Cedric Ralph (Peterborough, ON), who beat Sommers for his first goal of the season to extend the Huskies lead to 2-0.
HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ����
— SMU Huskies (@SMUHuskies) October 15, 2022
Cedric Ralph's goal gives @SMUMensHockey a 2-0 lead vs. @UNBAthletics.
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Late in the first the REDS got their first powerplay opportunity of the game, but Huskies goaltender Matt Welsh (Halifax, NS) made a great save on REDS forward Simon Pinard (Drummondville, QC) to keep the score at 2-0, which would remain the score heading into first intermission.
The REDS outshot the Huskies 14-8 in the first period, but Welsh was outstanding in goal with 14 saves.
In the opening minute of the second period Huskies forward Nathan Dunkley (Campbellford, ON) had a breakaway opportunity but Sommers shut the door to keep the score 2-0 for the home side.
Just over seven minutes into the period, the Huskies had a second breakaway attempt with the REDS on the powerplay, as first year forward Charlie Dafonseca (Thornhill, ON) broke in on goal and beat Sommers for the shorthanded goal, the first of his AUS career.
HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ����
— SMU Huskies (@SMUHuskies) October 15, 2022
Charlie Dafonseca makes no mistake on the breakaway to give @SMUMensHockey a 3-0 lead in the second period.
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The Huskies outshot the REDS 10-9 in the second period.
In the third period the REDS turned up the offensive pressure, but the Huskies defence held strong led by the steady play of Welsh in goal and some heroic shotblocking by defenceman Caelan McPhee (Ancaster, ON), who sacrificed his body several times to block REDS shot attempts, and the Huskies secured the 3-0 victory.
Huskies goaltender Matt Welsh was named Subway Player of the Game with 37 saves on the night.
"It feels good. We were excited for this game, UNB brings a great team every year, but we came together collectively and did everything we needed to get the win tonight," said Welsh post-game. "They were throwing a lot at the net for sure, I was kicking out a few rebounds but my d-men did a great job clearing them out and the shotblocking was amazing. A ton of help on the penalty kill, five on five, everything, the guys really made it easy for me tonight."
The Huskies win improved their record to 2-0 on the season. They'll be back in action tomorrow, as they host the Moncton Aigles Bleus, Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Dauphinee Centre.
"It's exciting to start 2-0, but we're not getting ahead of ourselves," said Welsh post-game. "Coming into this season we've got an older group, a lot of returning guys, so we want to have a successful year and this was the start that we were expecting."
The REDS loss dropped their record to 1-2 on the campaign. They'll return home to Fredericton for a showdown against the U SPORTS #4 ranked St. FX X-Men next Friday, Oct. 21 at the Aitken Centre.
Recap by Allan April / SMU Huskies Athletics
