COLIN MCPHAIL
The Brunswickan (University of New Brunswick)

FREDERICTON (CUP) — The University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds can drink from the University Cup once again.

The top-ranked Reds shut out the McGill Redmen 4”“0 to win their fourth Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s hockey championship.

The win marks UNB’s third national title under head coach Gardiner MacDougall.

“I had full confidence in the group. We believed all year,” MacDougall said. “It’s the ultimate CIS hockey moment to win at home here in the Aitken Centre.”

The Reds have won four titles since 1998.

After a pair of victories each, UNB and McGill squared off in front of a sold-out home crowd in Sunday’s final.

UNB’s Luke Gallant opened the scoring in the first, firing a slapshot past a screened McGill netminder Hubert Morin.

Daine Todd continued the scoring late in the second, as the speedy winger scored his first of two by poking the puck through Morin during a mad scramble in front to make it 2”“0.

Matt Fillier cashed in the third goal off a beautiful feed from defenceman Jon Harty, and Todd tallied his second to seal the win midway through the final frame.

“It was a good night to get a couple goals,” Todd said. “They rank pretty high and I’m just glad I could help out the team.”

The Redmen threw their entire offensive attack at Varsity Reds netminder Travis Fullerton, but the tournament’s top goaltender denied any chance of a comeback.

Fullerton stopped all 28 shots for the shutout victory. The third-year goalie only allowed one goal on 72 shots in his three starts.

“Right from the first shot against Calgary, I saw [the puck] really well,” he said. “My confidence kind of built from there and we got on a roll.”

Fullerton credited the Reds’ defensive core for his success.

“The D was awesome,” he said. “A goalie is only as good as his defence, so hats off to them.”

The Reds’ tenacious forechecking and strong physical play was also a key to their success.

“We are skilled, but yet physical team and we wanted to come out hard and lay the body to them and hopefully wear them down,” Harty said.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for McGill head coach Kelly Nobes, who took the Redmen to their first title game in his first season behind the bench.

“We got manhandled a little tonight, there’s no doubt about it,” Nobes explained. “We weren’t able to utilize our speed and were pushed around left, right and centre. But at the end of the day, I was really proud of my team. They had an outstanding season. They showed that they’re one of the top programs in the country.”

Redmen forward Guillaume Doucet sees the match as a huge stepping stone for a team on the rise in the CIS. McGill has now reached the University Cup in five out of the last six years.

“It was incredible for us to get to the game. We were not that far away from our goal,” Doucet said. “This program has come a long way in the last five or six years and I’m sure we’re going to win a national championship pretty soon.”

UNB dropped Calgary 2”“1 in their opening match on Thursday and blanked Western Ontario 4”“0 to advance from Pool A into the final.

Gallant, named Tournament MVP, led all scorers with seven points and was named to the All-Star Team. Goaltender Fullerton, defenceman Harty, and forwards Kyle Bailey and Chris Culligan were also named to the All-Star Team for the Reds. McGill forward Maxime Langelier-Parent rounded out the squad.

The UNB faithful was instrumental motivating the Varsity Reds during their championship run.

“To do it in front of our home fans is indescribable,” Fullerton said. “They’re the best fans in the CIS no doubt and they proved it tonight.

The Reds will try to repeat as champions in front the hometown crowd next year as they will host the 50th Cavendish University Cup.

– –
image: Andrew Meade/The Brunswickan