Panthers fall to Reds 6-1

FREDERICTON, NB—Justin Nolet (Mississauga, ON) and Cole MacKay (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) each scored twice as the UNB REDS beat the UPEI Panthers 6-1 Friday night at UNB's Aitken Centre.

Nolet's first proved to be the eventual game winner. He was named Tim Horton's Player of the Game. 

"We've got a great thing going here this year, so it's nice to keep it going," said Nolet. "The guys are battling hard every night. It's nice to see that result." 

While Nolet and MacKay scored twice, Adam McCormick's (Waterville, NB) goal might've been the biggest of the night, as Friday was UNB's 7th annual Teddy Toss Game. 

McCormick's powerplay goal at 12:03 of the first period brought 2159 stuffed animals raining onto the ice and prompting a ten-minute delay in the proceedings. 

"I was screaming for it, he (Kale McCallum) gave it to me. I had a bunch of time, walked into it and luckily it went in," said McCormick. "I lifted my head and saw the goalie was deep in his net, so I just thought get it high and hope for the best and it went over his shoulder." 

The almost 2200 stuffed animals will be distributed, over the holiday season, by the Salvation Army to families in need. 

Kale McCallum (Rothesay, NB) added UNB's other goal while Benjamin Corbeil (Granby, QC) and Cody Morgan (Gilford, ON) each had a pair of assists. 

"Anyone can score," said McCormick. "We have so many skilled guys and anyone on our team can put the puck in the net." 

Alexandre De Gagné (Mississauga, ON) scored UPEI's lone goal. 

"I thought we played a pretty good game, to be honest," said Panthers' head coach Forbes MacPherson. "They scored at key moments, and they capitalized on their powerplay and we didn't. I know the score was bigger than just a couple of moments, but I think it does just come down to a couple of moments. I feel like our group left a lot on the ice here tonight." 

Nolet's pair came inside a five-minute span of the second period. 

At the 7:18 mark, he poked at a loose puck in front of the UPEI net, sending the puck up and over Panthers netminder Joe Ranger (Carp, PE). 

At 11:45, he rifled a shot past Ranger that put the home team up 3-1. 

"The first one, I was just hoping. I threw a stick at it and was lucky it bounced in, found a way," said Nolet. "The second one, I was looking for mesh, took a shot and it went in." 

McCormick becomes the first defenceman to score a Teddy Toss goal and joins an exclusive club that includes the likes of former REDS great Sam Dove-McFalls and Cam Braes. 

"You see the game every year and note who scored the goal. It's kind of cool to be on that list and be another part of UNB's history," he said. 

UNB outshot UPEI 41-15, 16-3 in the second period alone. 

With the win, the REDS are now 15-0-0-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL) and remain atop the Atlantic University Sport standings. 

The Panthers fall to 6-10-0-0 and sit fifth. 

The REDS wrap up their first-half schedule on Saturday when they visit Moncton for a 7 p.m. start. 

The Panthers visit Saint Mary's Wednesday night.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell, UNB Athletics / PHOTOS BY: James West, for UNB Athletics