UNB-ear-able heartbreak for V-Reds
MONCTON - The University of Alberta Golden Bears were given a second chance and did they ever make the most of it.
T h e G o l d e n Bears,who n e e d e d help to advance to the national men’s hockey final, edged the defending champion University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds 3-2 in Sunday’s thrilling Cavendish University Cup gold medal game before 4,712 fans at the Moncton Coliseum.
By snapping UNB’s 21-game winning streak, the Golden Bears claim their record 13th championship and third in four years.
Just 24 seconds after UNB defenceman David Bowman was sent off for tripping, the Bears buried the winning goal. Mike Ouzas stopped Tim Krymusa’s initial shot but tournament MVP Ian McDonald banged in the rebound at 11:33.
The V-Reds outshot the Bears 42-25 but Alberta goalie Aaron Sorochan came up big time and time again.
UNB’s Hunter Tremblay hit the post with 1:40 remaining.
“It’s a game of inches,’’ Tremblay said. “One inch the other way and we’re heading to overtime. Who knows what happens then? “But you’ve got to give Alberta credit,’’ Tremblay said. “They got in through the backdoor, but they played their hearts out in the final and got the job done.’’ “I’m going to give that post a kiss,’’ Sorochan said amidst the on-ice celebrations. “We’re the first team in tournament history, since they changed the format (11 years ago), to lose a game and still make the final.
It was kind of fate that we got a second chance and we weren’t going to waste it.’’ UNB advanced to the final by beating Ontario’s Brock Badgers 6-1 Thursday and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 4-0 on Saturday.
The Golden Bears needed a tiebreaking edge to get to the championship game. After losing 2-1 in overtime to the hostUniversite de Moncton Aigles Bleus on Thursday, the Bears rebounded to rout Montreal’s McGill Redmen on Friday, then snuck in when McGill shut out Moncton 3-0 Saturday night.
“It was nerve-racking, to say the least, watching McGill play,’’ Mc- Donald said, “but we think that we deserved to be here and I think we proved that tonight.’’ “Our goal from the 25th of August was to be having this feeling right now,’’ Sorochan said. “And let me tell you, it feels pretty special. UNB’s a great hockey club. We didn’t beat just anybody.’’ UNB fifth-year veteran Denny Johnston said, “I think most of my teammates are going to put that silver medal in a drawer somewhere and never look at it again, but I’m really proud of the guys and I’m really proud of that silver medal too.’’ Brian Woolger and Krymusa had the earlier goals for the Bears while Justin DaCosta and Rob Hennigar replied for the V-Reds, who finish with an overall record of 43-4-0-1.
The teams traded goals five minutes apart in a fast-paced, penalty-free first period. UNB opened the scoring 4:23 in when Kevin Henderson wheeled behind the net and fed a pinching Da- Costa, who one-timed the puck past Sorochan’s blocker.
The Bears tied it when Woolger deftly went backhand to forehand to beat Ouzas on the blocker side.
Sorochan made a tremendous save with 2:40 left to keep it 1-1. Hennigar gave Tremblay a perfect pass but Sorochan got his stick on Tremblay’s one-timer from the doorstep.
UNB used a fluke goal to take a 2-1 lead 34 seconds into the second. Hennigar tried to pass across the crease to Tremblay, but the puck banked in off Alberta defenceman Jason Fransoo’s skate.
The lead lasted all of two minutes.
Krymusa buried McDonald’s precise pass by Ouzas from the lip of the crease.
UNB defenceman Alex Aldred sent Nathan O’Nabigon in on a clear-cut breakaway with 14 minutes left in the second, but Sorochan denied him on a backhand deke. Sorochan also made a big save off Tremblay, shorthanded, nine minutes later.
The tension continued to build in the third period.
Johnston hit the post five minutes in and Sorochan juggled the rebound with his trapper before the puck crossed the goal-line. Seconds later, Sorochan made a larcenous pad save off 2007 nationals hero Rob Pearce.
Just after that, Ouzas made a great glove grab off Richard Hamula -– Alberta’s only shot in the first half of the period.
“If you told us on September 1 that we’d get 42 shots in a national final and give up 25, we’d take that,’’ UNB head coach Gardiner MacDougall said. “Our work ethic was there. It was a first-class effort.’’ Former Alberta coach Rob Daum called Bears bench boss Eric Thurston three hours before game time.
“Rob said ‘It’s not very often you get to play with house money,’ “ Thurston said. “I said, ‘We’re certainly going to try to take advantage of it.’ UNB’s got just an unbelievable team, but we cowboyed up, so to speak.’’
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
