UNB Eliminates Acadia in 4th game

WOLFVILLE – In big games your best players have to be your best players, and that was the case Friday night when the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds answered an Acadia goal with three of their own and hung on for a 3-2 win. With the victory UNB wins the AUS semi-final series against the Axemen three games to one and wait to play the winner of the StFX-Saint Mary's series for the conference championship.

UNB coach Gardiner MacDougall made a couple of lineup changes for game four, inserting both veteran defenceman Josh Hepditch (Fredericton, NB) and fellow d-man Jonathan Harty (Oromocto, NB) who has missed several games due to illness. Sometimes-defenceman Spencer Corcoran (Summerside, PEI) was moved up to play forward and bang bodies. UNB was a much more physical team in the first period than the the start the night before and early in the period Harty put a big hit on Acadia spark plug Ryan Graham (Mount Pearl, NF), and he saw little ice time after that. Despite good pressure in the period from UNB it was Acadia getting on the scoreboard first at 15:32. Andrew Clark (Brandon, MB) got the puck away from Kyle Bailey (Ponoka, AB) behind the UNB net and he fed the puck to Zach MacMillan (Brandon, MB) all alone in front of the UNB net, and MacMillan's quick release beat Travis Fullerton (Riverview, NB) clean.

UNB answered just over two minutes later when Marc-Antoine Desnoyers (Hippolyte, PQ) hit Hunter Tremblay (Timmins, ON) with a long pass in full stride at the Acadia blue line. In a tremendous individual effort Tremblay fought his way through two Axemen defenceman, and with the referee's arm up for a delayed penalty, snapped the puck past Kristofer Westblom (Meadow Lake, SK) to tie up the game. Moments later Westblom made a big save off Tremblay to keep the score tied 1-1 after 20 minutes. UNB outshot Acadia 11-8 in the first period.

UNB came out flying in the second period and at the 58 second mark Taylor Procyshen (Emerald Park, SK) took the body at the Acadia blueline to make a pass to Nick MacNeil (Creignish, NS) and was hammered to the ice by 6'4” Leo Jenner (Mossley, ON). MacNeil went in on Westblom and beat the Axemen tender with a wrist shot to give UNB the lead, while linemate Procyshen was slow to get to his feet. The next stoppage Prochyshen went to the UNB dressing room and did not return to the game. UNB increased their lead at 13:22 when Tremblay got the puck in the Acadia corner and fed Chris Culligan (Howie Center, NS) in the slot and his rocket shot beat Westblom under the crossbar.

A MacNeil tripping penalty would prove costly as Acadia defenceman Chris Owens (St. John's, NL)  waited for the screen to develop and then fired a point shot along the ice that beat Fullerton just inside the far post at 14:57. The Axemen appeared to take energy from that goal and pressed furiously. Acadia had a golden opportunity to tie the game a few minutes later – Desnoyer had carried the puck deep behind the Axemen net, and when he turned the puck over it created an odd man rush the other way and a hard charging MacMillan ended up missing a near wide open UNB net when Fullerton played the puck carrier Adam McIllwraith (Quispamsis, NB).

The third period saw the Axemen going all out to tie the game as they fought to prolong their playoff lives. Fullerton was forced to make numerous big saves, with probably his biggest a glove save off McIllwraith midway through the period. The Axemen outshot the V-Reds 16-5 in the final period that had the Acadia fans on the edges of their seats.

UNB head coach Gardiner MacDougall was more pleased with his team's play this game. “Last night we didn't play certainly as well ... tonight we had a better response. It started with the Tremblay goal from a great pass from Desnoyer and that got us the confidence to bounce back when you're down one. We had a really solid second period and shut the door in the third. It's all about winning it in the third period.”

Acadia head coach Darren Burns, while disappointed in the outcome, was proud of his players none the less. “As a coach these last few weeks have probably been the most enjoyable for me. I'm almost embarrassed to say that there were guys that did things, that played the way I didn't know they were capable through a lot of adverse situations. There's a lot of guys who should be proud of themselves.”

When asked about the big hit Taylor Prosychen took to make the play for the go ahead goal early in the second period, Hunter Tremblay said, “It automatically lifts you up. You're kinda watching the game waiting for something to spark you. You see that and you get emotional and just get things going again.”

Three game stars: 1. Travis Fullerton 2. Chris Owens 3. Nick MacNeil