UNB outlast Axemen in Friday AUS action

FREDERICTON, N.B. — Acadia fell 5-3 to the UNB Reds on Friday in AUS men's hockey action.

Liam Kidney led the way for Acadia with a power-play goal, while Cam MacDonald and Cam Whynot also scored for the Axemen. MacDonald and Whynot each posted a positive plus/minus rating. Goaltender Thomas Couture made 39 saves but allowed four goals in the loss.

UNB opened the scoring early in the first period with a goal by Cole MacKay at 3:13, assisted by Kale McCallum and Colton Kammerer. Acadia answered at 6:23 when Whynot scored off a feed from Marc Boudreau. The period featured coincidental roughing penalties to Acadia's Luke Zazula and UNB's Kammerer at 7:10. Acadia had a power-play opportunity after a hooking penalty to UNB's Oscar Plandowski at 11:26 but couldn't capitalize, leaving the score tied 1-1 heading into the second.

The Reds regained the lead early in the second period with Macauley Carson scoring at 2:36, assisted by Cody Morgan and Jax Dubois. MacDonald evened the score for Acadia at 5:12, with Brady Burns and Corson Hopwo picking up assists. UNB couldn't convert on a power play after Zazula was assessed a 10-minute misconduct and Tyler Deline took a two-minute boarding penalty at 8:33. Couture stood tall for Acadia, making key saves throughout the period, but it remained 2-2 entering the final frame.

In the third, UNB's power play came alive. Sean McGurn scored at 7:27, assisted by Benjamin Corbeil and Morgan, followed by MacKay's second goal of the game at 9:08, with Corbeil and Morgan collecting assists again. Kidney brought Acadia within one with a power-play goal at 13:06, assisted by Peyton Hoyt. However, Carson's empty-net goal at 19:26 sealed the win for UNB.

Standout performances for UNB included Morgan, who notched three assists and a plus-three rating, and McCallum, who recorded an assist and four shots while finishing plus-three. MacKay registered two goals, including the game-winner, and Carson added two goals, including the insurance marker, for the Reds.

Saturday Acadia faces the Moncton Aigles Bleus at 7 p.m.