Rob Hennigar's late third period goal gave the UNV Varsity Reds a 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Ottawa Gee Gees in the afternoon game of Bell Varsity Cup Day 3 action. Ottawa had a 3-1 lead in the second and UNB made it 3-2 going into the third and then scored two in the final frame for the victory. With the win, UNB will be one of the finalists in the Bell Varsity Cup Championship game on Friday at 12:30 pm EST vs. the winner of the Lakehead vs. Manitoba night game. Other UNB goals came from Troy Stonier, Nathan O'Nabigon, and Kevin Werner. Ottawa's scoring came from Billy Triantafilos, Paul Gauthier, and Adam Vaughn. Ottawa was 2-7 on the powerplay and UNB was 1-5. The V-Reds outshot the Gee Gees 43-27.
UNB opened play very fast and fired 7 shots at the Ottawa goal in the first 10 minutes while the Gee Gees couldn't get one. However, the V-Reds lost their cool at the halfway mark and drew three minors, putting them two men down. Ottawa made it count when Billy Triantafolis jumped on a shot that bounced off the backboards in front of the UNB goal and buried it at 10:42. Assists went to Ben McLeod and Nathan Tenant. They quickly made it 2-0 at when Adam Vaughan knocked in a rebound at 11:31, assisted by Jordan Legace and Michael Nicoletti. Back at full strength, Nathan O'Nabigon brought the V-Reds within one at 13:23, assisted by Troy Stonier and William Johnston. Ottawa came close when Samuel Seguin was stopped by UNB netminder Reg Bourcier. UNB took another minor at the 14:00 mark and Bourcier made another great stop off Sequin. UNB outshot Ottawa 10-8 in the first.
UNB put on the pressure early in the second. They went on the powerplay and Kevin Werner fired a blast from the point that Ottawa goalie Martin Bricault deflected with his toe off the left post and out. Ottawa's Seguin had a breakaway but UNB dman Kevin Werner tied him up and Sequin was only able to get a weak shot off that Bourcier handled easily. Werner then blasted another point shot that handcuffed Bricault but the loose puck was cleared away by an Ottawa dman. The V-Reds kept up the pressure, firing a lot of point shots that Bricault stopped. Ottawa then went two men down at 13:00, giving UNB a great chance to tie the game. The V-Reds worked the puck well but kept missing the net with most of their shots and Bricault made two good stops. Ottawa then had the man advantage but couldn't get any offense organized in the face of the tight UNB checking. The sides evened up and Ottawa's Paul Gauthier jumped on a UNB defensive miscue in the V-Reds end and beat Bourcier at 18:10, assisted by Ben McLeod and Michael Nicoletti. The V-Reds came right back at 19:04 when Troy Stonier beat Ottawa's Bricault with a hard shot. The assist went to Bart Rushmer. UNB outshot Ottawa 20-11 in the second.
The final period began with the Gee Gees keeping the V-Reds pinned in their own end. UNB then took two minors in succession forcing them on the defensive once more. Ottawa got some good shots on goal but Bourcier stood firm in the UNB net. Once sides evened up, UNB took the puck into the Ottawa end and Kevin Werner fired another blast from the point and this time found the mark as he beat a screened Bricault at 5:46. Assists went to O'Nabigon and Matt Doherty. Ottawa then put on some pressure over the next few minutes but without any dangerous chances. UNB went on the powerplay with 4:44 left, andRobHennigarblasted a point shot that got by a screened Bricault at 15:40, with assists going to Colin Sinclair and Bart Rushmer. Ottawa tried desperately to get the tying goal but UNB held on for the win. UNB outshot Ottawa 13-8 in the third and 43-27 in the game.