Hockey Dogs fall flat...
UNB wins 2-1
Mar 22
Moncton, NB - It was't the way the University of Saskatchewan Huskies wanted to open the 2007 CIS University Cup. In their first meeting since the Huskies lost a heartbreaker in 2000, the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds kept their perfect record against the Dogs at Nationals by virtue of a 2-1 win Thursday afternoon. If the Huskies want to have any chance of making it to the final now they will have to win their game tomorrow afternoon against UQTR and hope then that on Saturday afternoon UQTR beats the University of New Brunswick.
Game 1: 2007 CIS men’s hockey championship
Boyce, Ouzas lift V-Reds over No. 2 Huskies in opener
MONCTON (CIS) – Darryl Boyce’s power play goal midway through the second period proved the difference as the fifth-seeded University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds edged the No. 2 Saskatchewan Huskies 2-1 in front of 3,556 fans in the opener of the CIS men’s hockey championship at the Moncton Coliseum, on Thursday afternoon.
Cavensish University Cup web site: www.cisport.ca/e/championships/m_hockey/2007
Boyce, a six-foot, 205-pound forward from Summerside, P.E.I. roofed a one-timer glove side past Saskatchewan netminder Jeff Harvey after accepting a pass from Dustin Friesen (Waldheim, Sask.) to break a 1-1 tie 10:40 into the middle frame, while Matt Girling (Saskatoon) was in the penalty box for kneeing.
“It was actually a broken play. The puck hit a stick before it got to me,” said Boyce, who helped Canada claim the gold medal at the Winter Universiade in Italy in January. “I just let it go as quick and as hard as I could.”
“We weren’t satisfied after losing the AUS final in two games to Moncton,” continued Boyce, named player of the game for UNB. “We looked at this weekend as a brand new three-game tournament. We are totally re-focused.”
The Huskies (0-1), who eliminated two-time defending national champion Alberta in the Canada West final, now face a must-win situation Friday at 2 p.m. (AT) when they face the No. 3 UQTR Patriotes (0-0) in their second and final Pool B round-robin duel. The V-Reds (1-0) will battle UQTR Saturday at 12:30 p.m. (AT), live on TSN.
It marked the second dual in history between the two programs at the University Cup tournament. UNB won 5-4 in overtime in pool play in 2000.
“I wouldn’t call it a good first game, I’d call it a great first game. Good is not good enough at this time of year,” said UNB head coach Gardiner MacDougall. “2-1, 5-1, it makes no difference. It’s a W and we’ll take it.”
“We moved the puck really well, starting with Jessie (Ferguson). He was once again a leader for us out there,” added MacDougall, who was an assistant coach with the Universiade team in Italy.
“It’s my third time at the Nationals and it’s never a good thing to lose your first game,” remarked Ferguson, a fifth-year defenseman from Langley, B.C. “I don’t remember many teams losing their opener and advancing to the final.”
Saskatchewan had a 29-23 edge in shots on goal but went 0-6 with the man advantage, while UNB converted one of eight opportunities.
“We just didn’t play really well today, simple as that,” commented Saskatchewan bench boss Dave Adolph, a co-captain with the Huskies when the team claimed its lone University Cup in Moncton in 1983. “With this round-robin format, now we have to think about goal differential tomorrow against UQTR.”
Saskatchewan opened the scoring 9:25 into the match when freshman Brett Parker (Melville, Sask.) fooled a screened Michael Ouzas (Hamilton) from the top of the right face-off circle.
UNB responded 6:06 later while playing shorthanded when rookie Joshua Hepditch (Fredericton) sent Denny Johnston on a partial breakaway. The fourth-year forward from Rosetown, Sask. made no mistake, beating Harvey with a backhander on the stick side.
“Denny is a Saskatchewan guy, he played with a lot of pride today. His goal was the turning point,” said UNB head coach Gardiner MacDougall.
Following Boyce’s eventual game-winning tally, the Varsity Reds dominated the remainder of the second frame and had a number of chances to increase their lead, but Harvey’s heroics kept the Huskies in the match.
The sophomore goalie stoned Robert Pearce (Fredericton) on a breakaway with 6:42 left in the stanza, and was back at it 17 seconds later stopping a backhand from up close from second-team All-Canadian forward Rob Hennigar (Jordan, Ont.), who was left all alone in front of him.
UNB had another glorious chance with 3:46 remaining but Harvey deflected a high shot from 15 feet out from fifth-year veteran Nick Marach (Delta, B.C.).
Five minutes and 11 seconds into the third period, Nathan O’Nabigon (Thunder Bay, Ont.) had the last real chance to send the AUS finalist in front by 3-1 but once again Harvey was up to the task, stopping the third-year forward on a breakaway with a spectacular glove save, four seconds after Huskie teammate Derek Endicott had left the penalty box.
The Huskies dominated the rest of the way but couldn’t buy the equalizer.
Right after Harvey’s save on O’Nabigon, Saskatchewan bombarded Ouzas with five shots during back-to-back power plays but couldn’t tie the affair.
Rookie forward Colin Patterson (Saskatoon), who assisted on Parker’s goal, earned player-of-the-game honours for the Huskies.
SCORING SUMMARY
UNB 2, Saskatchewan 1
FIRST PERIOD
SCORING:
1. SAS Brett Parker (1) (Colin Patterson, Jason Wagar), 9:25
2. UNB Denny Johnston (1) (Joshua Hepditch), 15:33 SH
PENALTIES:
Denny Johnston (UNB) 10-minute misconduct, 0:00; Keegan McAvoy (SAS) 10-minute misconduct, 0:00; Darryl Boyce (UNB) holding, 1:52; Matt Girling (SAS) cross-checking, 5:48; Brad Erickson (SAS) hooking, 12:30; Nathan O’Nabigon (UNB) interference, 14:43; Jeff Schmidt (SAS) checking to the head, 19:42; Jeff Schmidt (SAS) 10-minute misconduct, 19:42.
SECOND PERIOD
SCORING:
3. UNB Darryl Boyce (Dustin Friesen, Jessie Ferguson)
PENALTIES:
John Scott Dickson (UNB) tripping, 5:08; Matt Girling (SAS) interference, 6:17; Matt Girling (SAS) kneeing, 8:53; Jeff Schmidt (SAS) hooking, 13:40; Derek Endicott (SAS) tripping, 17:24; Brad Efthimiou (UNB) holding the stick, 18:02.
THIRD PERIOD
SCORING:
No scoring.
PENALTIES:
Stacy Smallman (UNB) interference, 1:03; Derek Endicott (SAS) roughing, 3:07; David Bowman (UNB) slashing, 5:31; Rob Hennigar (UNB) tripping, 7:44.
GOALS (by period)
UNB: 1-1-0:2
SAS: 1-0-0:1
SHOTS ON GOAL (by period)
UNB: 8-12-3: 23
SAS: 13-8-8:29
POWER PLAY:
UNB: 1-8
SAS: 0-6
GOALTENDERS
UNB – Michael Ouzas (W, 29 shots, 28 saves, 60:00)
SAS – Jeff Harvey (L, 23 shots, 21 saves, 60:00)
PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
UNB: Darryl Boyce
SAS: Colin Patterson
REFEREE: Brad Mills
LINESMEN: Matt McPherson, Jeff MacDonald
ATTENDANCE: 3,556
SEEDINGS, POOLS, SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times LOCAL / AT)
Pool A
No. 1 Moncton (0-0)
No. 4 Laurier (0-0)
No. 6. StFX (0-0)
Pool B
No. 5. UNB (1-0)
No. 3. UQTR (0-0)
No. 2. Saskatchewan (0-1)
Thursday, March 22
Pool B #1: UNB 2, Saskatchewan 1
19:00 Pool A #1: Laurier vs. StFX
Friday, March 23
14:00 Pool B #2: UQTR vs. Saskatchewan
19:00 Pool A #2: Moncton vs. Loser Pool A #1
Saturday, March 24
12:30 Pool B #3: UQTR vs. UNB (Live on TSN)
20:00 Pool A #3: Moncton vs. Winner Pool A #1 (Live on TSN)
Sunday, March 25
20:00 Championship final (Live on TSN & RDS)
NOTE: All games available through webcasting at http://events.startcast.com/events/launch.asp?EventID=1A5BAE55-BF9E-4F9E-B23B-82B25D7B381E
All Huskies games will air live on Hot93. Turn your dial to 92.9 or log on to www.hot93.com
