V-Reds blank Axemen 4-0

WOLFVILLE – The University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds started a little slow out of the gate, but they turned in on in the latter part of the first period and cruised to a 4-0 win over the Acadia Axemen in men's hockey action Friday night. All-Canadians Hunter Tremblay (Timmins, ON) and Luke Gallant (Bedford, NS), who both missed UNB's last game, led the V-Reds offence with a goal and an assist each while Travis Fullerton (Riverview, NB) backstopped the Varsity Reds to his conference leading fifth shutout of the season.

Acadia was leading the shot count 10-3 at one point in the first period, and then UNB woke up, and by the time they scored their first goal at 17:32 the shots on goal were 10-9. On the goal Tremblay started the play, dropped the puck back to Josh Kidd (Sundridge, ON) and then Gallant blasted the rebound from the point that beat Mike Chiasson (Cole Harbour, NS) in the Acadia net. After Chaisson stoned Nick Layton (Salisbury, NB) on a two-on-one and Jordan Clendenning (Fredericton, NB) on a partial break earlier in the second period, the V-Reds extended their lead at 16:21 when captain Kyle Bailey (Ponoka, AB) scored on the wraparound after some fine work by Matt Fillier (Durham, NS) and Spencer Corcoran (Summerside, PEI). To show how much the territorial play changed in the second period, UNB outshot Acadia 19-3.

After coming up blank on two straight power plays, UNB scored shorthanded at 6:34 when Taylor Procyshen (Emerald Park, SK) won the race for a loose puck after goaltender Chiasson came way out of his net in pursuit of the puck, and then hesitated. Once he got the puck the speedy Procyshen then had an empty net to score into. Then at 14:57, just after UNB's five-on-three power play ended but still one man up, Gallant's stick exploded as he fired a point shot, but there was just enough momentum in the puck that Tremblay could redirect it into the Acadia net for his 20th goal of the season.

UNB outshot Acadia 36-21 in the 4-0 victory. Hunter Tremblay's two points bring his career tally to 212 points, and he is now tied for the UNB career record with Rob Hennigar. Adding Derek Yeoman's shutout to Fullerton's five means that UNB has now tied the AUS record for most shutouts in a season. Saint Mary's set the original record of six shutouts in 1972-73, with Chuck Goddard in the Huskies net each time.

The 22-5-0 Varsity Reds close out the regular season Saturday night in Halifax against the Dalhousie Tigers.