The first game of the sixth annual Peterbilt Pete Kelly Cup saw the
host University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds get the early lead and
hold off a game Providence Friars squad in an evenly played game that
UNB eventually won 3-1. The two teams will meet again Sunday night.
The Friars, who play in the NCAA's ultra-competitive Hockey East
conference, are making their first ever visit to UNB's Aitken
University Centre. They had a good opening shift until they turned the
puck over and speedy V-Red forward Dion Campbell (Melville, SK) worked
a give-and-go with Lachlan MacIntosh (Perth Andover, NB) and scored on
Alex Beaudry (Cumberland, ON) in the Providence net just 33 seconds
into the game. UNB carried the momentum after the goal and were
outshooting the Friars 7-1, including several good chances on a power
play, before they got into penalty trouble midway through the first
period. With Matt Fillier (Durham, NS) off for hooking and Josh Kidd
(Sundridge, ON) off for boarding, Providence had a 5-on-3 man
advantage for 66 seconds and Ian O'Conner (Londonderry, NH) knocked in
the rebound to tie the game at 10:18 after Travis Fullerton
(Riverview, NB) made the original save off Eric Baier (North
Kingstown, RI). That was all the scoring in the period that saw UNB
outshoot the Friars 13-8 and go 0-for-3 on the power play.
The second period was pretty even, except the Friars took three minor
penalties to UNB's one, and the V-Reds cashed in on the power play at
13:37 when big defencemen Josh Kidd came in off the point and snapped
a shot that may have deflected past Beaudry to put UNB back in the
lead. Shots were six apiece in the period and there was a good
physical intensity to the play.
Providence's best opportunity to tie the game just after a power play
near the five minute mark when Kevin Hart (Cumberland, ME) rang a shot
off the post. At 13:08 Providence took a costly penalty for too many
men on the ice. Beaudry made a great save off UNB captain Kyle Bailey
(Ponoka, AB) in the slot, and then caught a break when Hunter Tremblay
(Timmins, ON) saw his stick shatter when he tried to one-time a Bailey
pass into the open side of the net. However shortly afterwards
defenceman Bretton Stamler (Edmonton, AB) fed a great pass to a
rushing Nick MacNeil (Creignish, NS) who snapped the puck past Beaudry
at 14:40. UNB goalie Fullerton also picked up an assist on the power
play goal. With 40 seconds to go in the period Providence pulled their
goalie, and UNB's Kidd took a roughing penalty five seconds later so
the Friars played 6-on-4 to close out the game. Fullerton stood up to
the furious Friars push and made several saves before time expired to
preserve the win.
Shots on goal favoured UNB 27-23 in their 3-1 win. The V-Reds were
2-for-8 on the power play while Providence was 1-for-6 with the man
advantage. The players of the game were Eric Baier for Providence and
Dion Campbell for UNB.
Despite giving up the early goal, Providence head coach Tim Army was
pleased with his team's start. "It is our first game in three weeks
and we're up against a very good team in UNB. They are very
disciplined, well coached and have a winning culture. They know how to
win, and we can learn from that." Providence senior Eric Baier thought
his team came out a little slow, against "a team that plays a similar
style to us." He added that the extended five-on-three in the middle
period, which led to a goal, "got us back in the game" against a UNB
team which "is almost like a Hockey East rival now."
UNB coach Gardiner MacDougall noted that the Friars were a much
improved team from the one the Varsity Reds defeated 6-3 on October 9,
2009. "They are a real good opponent and we had to have a solid team
effort to get the win. They have a back pressure that we don't
normally see from teams in the AUS. From a game management perspective
we got to try out some different player combinations against a very
good team."
Game Notes: Before the game there was a brief tribute and moment's
silence for Tony Proudfoot, who passed away Thursday after a heroic
and public three-year battle with ALS. Proudfoot was a former UNB
football star before going onto a professional career in the CFL with
the Montreal Alouettes. UNB forward Taylor Procyshen played only the
first period, as planned, as he works himself back into the lineup
after missing all of the conference games in the first half with post
concussion symptoms. Coach MacDougall was pleased with his play and
expects him to play two periods in the second game against Providence.
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Anyone have an update on Lee?
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