Guay Leads REDS Over Huskies

(FREDERICTON, NB) Nicolas Guay (Chatauguay, QC) had two goals and an assist to lead the UNB REDS in a 4-1 win over the Saint Mary's Huskies on Saturday, capping a 2-0 weekend for the REDS.

Guay's three-point night earned him Subway Player of the Game.

Austen Keating (Guelph, ON) added three points of his own with a goal and two assists, while Tyler Boland (St. John's, NL) tallied two assists.

"It's easy to play with him [Keating] and Boland, I'm lucky to play with these guys," said Guay. "I think I compliment them well. They're two hard working, fast guys. They track pucks, they're on the puck all the time, they win their battles and it just makes my job easy."

The game was played before 1,903 fully-vaccinated and masked fans at Fredericton's Aitken Centre.

The first period was tightly played on both sides.

Macaulay Carson (Midhurst, ON) got the first dangerous chance of the game for UNB, hitting the short-side post a little over seven minutes in.

A few minutes later, Brady Gilmour (Grafton, ON) fed James Phelan (Laval, QC) down low from the half-boards and Phelan directed the puck just wide. Then Gilmour would come close himself on a wrap-around attempt.

Cedric Ralph (Peterborough, ON) and Keith Getson (Brigewater, NS) would generate the Huskies' first scoring opportunities on a late period power-play, getting a pair of shots from the slot, neither beating REDS goaltender Tanner Somers (Miramichi, NB).

UNB would open the scoring with 1:29 left in the frame, as Keating circled out from behind the net and put a perfectly placed shot past SMU's Matt Welsh (Halifax, NS) for a 1-0 lead, which the REDS would take into first intermission.

The second period was filled with physical and chippy play.

The Huskies would come close to tying the game five minutes in, sneaking two players in behind the REDS defence, forcing Somers to make a pair of great saves.

Isaac Nurse (Hamilton, ON) would return the favour a few minutes later, breaking in all alone, only for Welsh to shut the door.

The REDS would then catch the Huskies on a 3-on-2, off an expiring UNB penalty and Guay would roof a shot on Welsh to finish a well-executed passing play and give the REDS a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes.

Guay would add to the REDS lead just 19 seconds into the third, putting a low shot past Welsh to make it 3-0.

Kade Landry (Gowanstown, ON) would pad the lead six minutes later to make it 4-0, one of his two points on the night.

Mitchell Balmas (Sydney, NS) would get one back for the Huskies to make it 4-1, but that's all the visiting side could muster as the REDS took the win.

Shots were 36-19 in favour of UNB. 

Somers made 18 saves for the REDS, while Welsh made 32 stops in a losing effort for the Huskies.

The REDS improve to 11-1 on the season while Huskies drop below .500 at 5-6.

UNB continues their homestand on Friday when they host the StFX X-Men. Game time is 7:00pm. The Huskies head to Charlottetown on Friday for a match-up with the UPEI Panthers.

RECAP BY: Jonathon James/for UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Fran Harris/for UNB Athletics