Brace Leads VReds

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PE) Cameron Brace(Markham, ON) scored three times to lead the UNB Varsity Reds over the UPEI Panthers 6-2, on Wednesday night.

Christopher Caissy(Campbellton, NB) had two goals and an assist, while Christopher Clapperton(Cap Espoir, QC) also found the back of the net for the Varsity Reds, who remain undefeated in regulation this season.

"The plays were working tonight and my teammates found me at the right time," Brace said. "All I had to do was get the puck on net."

UNB is now 11-0-2.

The Panthers, who fell to 5-6-2, struggled with their special teams units, going 0-5 on their power plays, while allowing four goals on the penalty kill.

"We have spent so much time in the last 72 hours talking about our 5-on-5 play that our special teams was neglected in preparation for this game," said Panthers head coach Forbes MacPherson.

The Varsity Reds scored the only goal of the opening period, when Caissy beat Matt Mahalak(Monroe, MICH.).

Etienne Marcoux(Terrebonne, QC) was perfect in the UNB net in the opening frame, stopping all five shots he faced. The defence in front of him was equally effective at limiting the Panthers offensively, including killing off a 5-on-3 power play near the end of the period.

UNB's defence continued to stifle the Panthers in the second, as UPEI laboured to put pucks on net with the man advantage.

Where the Panthers struggled, the Varsity Reds succeeded. While on the power play, UNB delivered their second blow of the night, as Brace hit the top left corner with the wrist shot, doubling their lead to 2-0.

Caissy was at it again at 17:10 when he recorded his second goal of the game, this time with the man advantage, giving the defending national champions a 3-0 lead.

Just two minutes into the third, the Panthers cut into the deficit on a Marcus Power(St. John's, NL) goal. But the Varsity Reds restored their three-goal lead on a flurry of activity in front of the net as Brace notched his second of the night.

The Panthers, showing fight, came right back on J.C. Campagna's(Dublin, OHIO) fourth goal of the year to make it 4-2.

But an extended power play would yield two more goals for the Varsity Reds… the first by Clapperton, and the second by Brace, to complete his hat-trick, and make the final 6-2.

The Panthers look to turn things around on Friday, when they travel to Moncton to take on the Aigles Bleus.

The Varsity Reds host the Aigles Bleus, on Saturday. Face-off is scheduled for 7:00PM, at the Aitken University Centre.

RECAP BY: Thomas Becker, for UPEI Athletics

PHOTOS BY: UPEI Athletics