(HALIFAX, NS) Goaltender Jeremy Helvig (Kingston, ON) turned away 50 shots, and forward Cedric Ralph (Peterborough, ON) scored the shootout winner, as the Saint Mary's Huskies defeated the UNB REDS 2-1, in a shootout, on Saturday night.
The REDS looked to open the scoring when a first period pass by Simon Pinard (Drummondville, QC) was fed into the slot for Brady Gilmour (Grafton, ON) who tipped it towards the net. Helvig was able to make a nice save off the redirection.
Saint Mary's had an excellent opportunity of their own when Jake Durham (Port Perry, ON) had two swings at a rebound but couldn't beat Samuel Richard (Ste. Catherine, QC).
One of the nicest saves of the game came when Austen Keating (Guelph, ON) was in close to the left of the SMU net and fired a shot, but Helvig kicked his right leg up for the denial.
Late in the period Andrew Coxhead (Bedford, NS) received a pass from below the goal line and tried to go short side on Richard to no avail.
Later, Coxheath would score to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
The second period saw the teams match each other stride for stride with both squads battling for the ever so important second goal of the game.
Keating received a stretch pass from his own end to the SMU blueline and was in on a breakaway. He tried to wrist a shot past the glove of Helvig, but the Huskies goalie snatched it out of the air.
Joel Bishop (St. John's, NL) took a late penalty for goalie interference which gave the visiting REDS a chance to equalize before the end of the frame. With a just a few seconds left in the period, Gilmour slid a pass across the ice to Pinard who sent the one-timer off the shoulder off Helvig.
Near the midway mark of the third period the Huskies were pressuring and were looking to extend their lead. Nathan Dunkley (Campbellford, ON) fed a pass across for Keith Getson (Bridgewater, NS) who was denied by Richard.
With six minutes left in the game the REDS were on the attack.
The puck came back to the blueline for Pinard who just threw the puck towards the net. A high deflection by Camaryn Baber (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) sent the puck past Helvig.
The goal was immediately waved off, but after some discussion by the referees the call was overturned, and the game was tied 1-1.
Neither team scored in the final minutes of regulation or overtime, so the game was to be decided in a shootout.
Ralph was the third shooter for the Huskies and fired a shot five hole. Gilmour couldn't extend the shootout after sending his backhand attempt high and the Huskies took the game 2-1.
Helvig was named Subway Player of the Game, stopping 50 shots for the victory.
The Huskies win improved their record to 9-7-0-0 on the season. The Huskies will face crosstown rival Dalhousie Tigers on Wednesday night, before returning home to host the STFX X-Men on Friday.
The REDS loss snapped a 12-game win-streak, and dropped their record to 13-2-0-1. The REDS will return home to host Moncton on Friday, at 7:00pm.
RECAP BY: Troy Langstaff/for SMU Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Mona Ghiz/for SMU Athletics