UNB defeat X-Men in penalty-filled affair
In a game between two staunch rivals and CIS top ten teams, the UNB Varsity Reds scored first and often, on route to a 6-2 win over the StFX X-Men.
Fredericton, NB - In a game between two staunch rivals and CIS top ten teams, the UNB Varsity Reds scored first and often, on route to a 6-2 win over the StFX X-Men.
Chris Caissy's power-play goal 3:58 into the game was the first of four first period goals for UNB.
Tyler Carroll and Stephen Anderson added goals before Caissy fired his second of the evening as the Varsity Reds took a 4-0 lead on a 9-6 shot advantage in the first period.
Rob Mignardi and Philippe Halley, with a short-handed goal, also scored for the Varsity Reds, both goals coming in the second period.
Michael Clarke got the X-Men on the board with a second period goal and Holden Cook scored the only marker of the third period for the X-Men to bring the final score to 6-2.
Shots favored the Varsity Reds at 30-23 and Etienne Marcoux earned the win in the UNB net with 21 saves. Drew Owsley took the loss for the X-Men.
"You can't spot anybody a 4-0 lead in our league, let alone in a game like this," said X-Men head coach Brad Peddle. "They capitalized on some early chances and that's not to blame our goalie at all, they just had some really good chances that they capitalized on."
The two teams combined for 192 minutes in penalties.
Peddle believes it didn't have to be that way. "I thought it got out of control. I thought it should've been nipped early and it wasn't."
He says the Varsity Reds weren't gracious winners. "There's a way to win and a way to lose. For us, we're down five goals and our guys are having to listen to guys laugh and chirp our bench and things like this, so why should they not stand up for themselves…and I'm okay with that."
When informed of Peddle's feelings, Varsity Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall was succinct. "We've been on the short end. That sometimes happens, but we've just got to get our team ready for next weekend, it's a huge weekend on the road."
UNB and StFX meet again, next Saturday, in Antigonish.
The win improves CIS No. 7 ranked UNB's record to 12-3-2, good for a share of second place, along with the CIS ranked No. 6 X-Men, also 12-3-2, in the AUS standings.
Before meeting X again, the Varsity Reds face the Dalhousie Tigers, Friday, in Halifax, while the X-Men will host UPEI on Friday evening.