(PHOTO BY: Shannon Cornelius / UNB Athletics)


FREDERICTON, NB --  Kris Bennett of Brampton, Ont., scored three points, including the winning goal at 3:57 of overtime, to give the UNB Reds a 5-4 win over the defending OUA Queen's Cup champion McGill Redmen, in exhibition men's hockey before an announced crowd of 1,651 at the Aitken Centre, Friday night. It put a damper on the opener of McGill's 143rd season of hockey.

UNB, which recently dropped "Varsity" from their nickname, improved their record to 12-1 lifetime against McGill, dating back to their first rendezvous in 1979.

Bennett's goal came just seconds after Reds netminder Rylan Parenteau of Saskatoon, made an incredible glove save on what looked like a sure winner for McGill junior Samuel Tremblay, a play that was a highlight-reel candidate for save of the year.

The game also featured two penalty shots, both awarded to the home team -- which was the most ever called against McGill in any game in school history -- and both of them missed.

On the first call, with UNB leading 2-1 at 13:21 of the second period, rookie rearguard Brendan O'Reilly was whistled, apparently for interference from behind. UNB sniper Kris Bennett took the shot, which was forced wide to the left by veteran McGill goaltender Louis-Philippe Guindon.

The second call was made with UNB leading 4-3 at 14:19 of the third period. McGill rearguard Dominic Talbot-Tassi slashed UNB forward Stephen Anderson from behind. On the ensuing penalty shot, Anderson lost control of the puck but recovered in time, near the faceoff circle along the boards and managed to move in from the side and get a shot on Guindon, who made the save. Despite holding his ground on two dangerous shooters, Guindon, a 6-foot-1, 188-pound science junior from St. Joseph-du-Lac, Que., was saddled with the loss, making 25 saves in the game.

UNB, the defending Atlantic conference champs, opened the scoring with a pair of first period goals just 31 seconds apart. Fifth-year forward Cam Brace of Etobicoke, Ont., scored at 12:45 and Alexandre Goulet of Disraeli, Que., made it 2-0 at 13:16.

Keanu Yamamoto, a sophomore from Spokane, Wash., cut the UNB lead in half at 7:33 of the second period.

The two teams then traded goals through the third period.

Patrick Watling of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., put UNB ahead 3-1 at 10:31 but McGill sophomore Michael Cramarossa of Markham, Ont., replied just eight seconds later, narrowing the gap to 3-2.

Tyler Boland of St. John's, Nfld., restored UNB's two-goal lead at 3:47 of the third, but McGill defenceman Nikolas Brouillard, a sophomore from St. Hilaire, Que., scored back-to-back markers, at 7:03 and 16:33, to set the stage for a fast-paced and highly entertaining 3-on-3 overtime. Brouillard, who transferred to McGill last year after playing in the ECHL, had a three-point soiree, drawing an assist on Yamamoto's goal.

Both teams went 0-for-5 on the power-play as UNB had a slight 30-29 edge in shots on net as Parenteau registered 25 saves for the win.

The Reds and Redmen will play a second exhibition game, at UNB's Aitken Centre, on Saturday, at 3 pm Atlantic (2pm Eastern) and will be streamed live on AUS-TV.
 
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