Reds skate to 6-1 win over X-Men

(FREDERICTON, NB) Cody Morgan (Gilford, ON) had two goals and an assist to help the UNB REDS snap a rare two-game losing streak with a dominant 6-1 win over the STFX X-Men on Friday night.

Michael Petizian (Mississauga, ON) also had two goals, while Austen Keating (Guelph, ON) added a goal and an assist in the win.

Petizian's first two Atlantic University Sport goals earned him Subway Player of the Game.

"We had better energy tonight. We were on their defence and really making it a tired game for them," said Petizian.

STFX had the first early chance just 1:31 into the game, as Josh Nelson (Lockport, IL) got in behind the REDS defence for a breakaway, but Samuel Richard (Ste. Catherine, QC) shut the door.

Cole McKay (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) responded for the REDS a few minutes later, splitting the X-Men defence to receive a stretch pass that he couldn't get a handle on before being cut off by Joseph Raaymakers (Chatham, ON).

With eight minutes to go in the first, the X-Men opened the scoring when Connor Bruggen-Cate (Langley, BC) fired a wrist shot past the blocker of Richard on a short-handed 2-on-1 break for the 1-0 lead. 

That lead wouldn't last long as the REDS swarmed the X net off the next faceoff and Petizian banged home a power-play goal to tie it 1-1, just 48 seconds later.

UNB would burn STFX once more before first intermission as Simon Pinard (Drummondville, QC) picked the top right corner just 14 seconds into a 5-on-3 advantage to make it 2-1 after 20 minutes.

The REDS momentum continued in the second period.

UNB flooded the X-Men zone immediately and amidst the chaos Morgan found the puck at the side of the net for the 3-1 goal just 1:34 in.

The goals kept coming as STFX gave up another costly power-play that UNB would take advantage of.

The REDS moved the puck efficiently around to Keating who found a way past Raaymakers to make it 4-1.

The X-Men got a great chance to get a goal back a few minutes later as Dallas Farrell (Cardigan, PE) was hooked on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot, but he would be denied by Richard on his attempt.

The REDS special teams continued to create havoc for STFX, only this time on the penalty kill, with Petizian breaking in and putting a sharp angle shot over the shoulder of Raaymakers for his second of the game to make it 5-1 before the game's halfway mark.

"He (Raaymakers) went down and there was a bit of a corner and I just tried to pick it and thankfully it went in," said Petizian.

UNB would carry the four-goal spread into the third period.

Morgan would add one more for the REDS, in the third, for a 6-1 final.

Power plays were a noticeable difference in the contest, with the REDS going 3 for 7 while the X-Men went 0 for 6.

Richard made 22 saves in net for the REDS while Raaymakers made 38 saves for STFX.

Both teams are now 2-2 on the season and both are back in action Saturday.

The X-Men travel to Moncton to face the Aigles Bleus at 4:00pm, while UNB hosts the Dalhousie Tigers at 7:00pm.

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RECAP BY: Jonathon James/for UNB Athletics