New Brunswick defeats Western Ontario 4-2 in hockey final

Lachlan MacIntosh scored three goals, including the winner midway through the third period, to lead the New Brunswick Varsity Reds past the Western Ontario Mustangs 4-2 in the Canadian university men’s hockey final.

MacIntosh broke a 2-2 tie at 10:24 when he collected a loose puck in the slot and fired a low shot past goaltender Brad Topping.

“I was just fortunate to get some chances, and capitalized. It was just one of those days where the bounces went my way,” said MacIntosh.

The CIS University Cup most valuable player iced things with an empty-netter with 46 seconds left, and also opened the scoring at 18:58 of the first as the V-Reds claimed their second national title in three years.

They lost 3-2 to Alberta in the 2008 final and edged Moncton 3-2 in overtime two years ago.

John Scott Dickson also scored for New Brunswick, while Travis Fullerton made 28 saves, including a handful of big ones as Western pressed hard for an equalizer in the dying minutes.

“We had a lot of soldiers out there,” said New Brunswick coach Gardiner MacDougall. “To win a national championship we need complete efforts from everyone but your best players have to be your best players.”

Patrick Ouellet and Kevin Baker replied for the Mustangs, unlikely finalists after scoring five straight goals in the third period of a 7-2 thrashing of Saint Mary’s on Saturday. They needed to beat the Huskies by at least three goals to advance.

The Ontario champions ran out of magic after tying the game when Baker scored 1:13 into the third, failing to win the title in their first trip to the national final since beating UQTR in triple overtime seven years ago.

“We were in tough out of the gate, and just wanted to weather the storm,” said Mustangs coach Clarke Singer. “I thought we did a pretty good job of
that. I wish we would have had a little more offence, but they have a very good team.”

Western could only muster one shot in the opening frame, finally testing Fullerton 32 seconds before the intermission, while UNB replied with 10 shots on Brad Topping.

The Mustangs had a better showing in the second period, outshooting their rivals 18-10. UNB held a 16-11 margin in the third for a final count of 36-30.

“It’s incredible, more than I could ever ask for in my first year,” said Fullerton, who allowed only six goals on 90 shots in his first University Cup appearance for a tournament-best .933 save percentage. “It’s a feeling I wish could last forever. Obviously we accomplished our goal at this tournament and it feels pretty good right now.”

McIntosh opened the scoring late in the first when he pounced on a loose puck in the left faceoff circle and unleashed a wrist shot past Topping’s glove in the top corner. Dickson made it 2-0 early in the second after deflecting a point shot from rookie Jonathon Harty.

Ouellet cut the lead in half just before the midway mark of the second period and Baker and scored his team-leading third marker of the tourney with a high shot over Fullerton’s left shoulder.

– The Canadian Press