UNB Reds Advance to U Cup Semifinals With Ease Against Brock
Photo: James West/UNB Athletics
Written by Blake Hanlin
The University of New Brunswick Reds continued their perfection in the quarterfinal win versus the Brock Badgers.
A convincing 2-0 victory for UNB sent Brock back to St. Catherines in Thursday's afternoon matchup. A win was no surprise for the Reds heading into the game, but their authority over their opponent with shots on the net raised eyebrows. The disparity in the level of play was evident throughout, as it seemed like UNB was always one step ahead of their opponent. Though, effort prevailed between the pipes for the Badgers, with player of the game Connor Ungar remaining at the top of his game. The goalie was bombarded with 45 shots throughout the match.
A focus and mentality that never wavers are the sparks that drive the Reds' play, and Head Coach Gardiner MacDougall cements this philosophy in his coaching.
"Your first game is a survive and advance mentality." MacDougall said at Wednesday's practice.
Out of the gate, the Reds came to play with ferocious intent. Leading in puck possession to start the first period, they held Brock shotless for 14 minutes. The hot start was capped by an unassisted snipe from Cody Morgan, past rookie sensation Ungar. Pressure and frustration continued to crawl up the Badgers' neck, suffering two penalties simultaneously, leading to a late 5-on-3 powerplay goal from the Reds' Kade Landry.
"This date has been marked on my calendar since September 1st." Landry said. "Anytime you can contribute and help the team win, it feels really good."
Pace of play slowed down in the second period, yet New Brunswick still controlled the match. Keeping the Badgers' hopes alive once again was Ungar, who stood tall between the pipes. His was exemplified with an incredible cross-crease glove robbery at the halfway point in the 2nd.
Delaying the inevitable could have been on the locker room message of Brock's Head Coach, TJ Manastersky. Despite the rough beginning in the first, the effort in the second and third were much more sound. A positive aspect was the increase in possession and scoring chances in the two later periods. Yet, a feeling of unfulfillment within the Badgers was prevalent following a late third-period goal and an empty netter. Both goals came from the Reds' player of the game, Benjamin Corbeil.
"They're a great team [UNB]." Ungar said. "I liked our effort to compete for myself and our team, and that's all you can really ask for."
Unfortunately for Brock, their season was over after the first, but their resilience, headlined by their netminder, prevented the game from getting out of reach. A victory was expected from UNB, with heavily favored odds heading into the tournament. Yet, their winning result on Thursday only sets the tone further that they are the team to beat in this tournament.
