Wiles pots overtime winner in victory over REDS

ANTIGONISH - A Raegan Wiles overtime winner capped off a thrilling 3-2 victory for the STFX X-Men on Friday night at the Charles V Keating Centre. Wiles snapped home a Dominik Godin pass while on a 2-on-1 with a minute to go in the extra period after the REDS came back late in the third. 

STFX goalie Patrick Leaver earned Gabriel Pizza Player of the Game and first star honors with his 49 stops, while Lucas Canning was the second star with a pair of goals on the night. UNB forward Michael Petizian, who also had a pair of goals, was the third star.  

The X-Men got the jump on the visitors early but play evened out in the rest of the first period with neither team able to break the deadlock.  

The potent UNB powerplay went to work early in the second period, peppering the X net with shots, but Leaver had some help in the net with plenty of X-Men blocking shots.  

Canning, STFX's leading goal getter, opened the scoring with five minutes left in the second, breaking to the front of the net, kicking the puck to his stick, and sliding one in for his 13^th marker of the season. Charlie Callaghan and Ryan McGuire assisted.  

Canning added his second of the night 45 seconds before intermission, one-timing a pass from Callaghan on the powerplay.  

The REDS continued to put shots on the STFX net but Leaver came up big a few times in the final period to maintain the STFX lead.

UNB pulled the goalie with three minutes left in regulation, and Petizian made it 2-1 30 seconds later, tipping in a pass from Cody Morgan.  

The REDS looked dangerous for the rest of the period, and Petizian tied things up with 0.3 seconds on the clock, firing a puck to the net that bounced in off a skate.  

Logan O'Neil rang one off the post in the first minute of OT, and Leaver had a huge glove save before Wiles ended the night with his game winner.  

The win moved STFX's record to 11-11-3, while UNB fell to 15-8-2. The REDS remain in third place in the AUS standings, with STFX in sixth place. Both teams have clinched playoff positions.  

STFX will be back in action on home ice Saturday night when they host the UPEI Panthers. Puck drop is 7:00 pm at the Keating Centre.

-30-

Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics