The UNB Reds are Atlantic university hockey champions for a third consecutive year and seventh time this decade.
A three-goal outburst in the third period paced the No. 1-ranked Reds to a 5-1 victory over the Acadia Axemen in the third and deciding game of the best-of-three AUS championship Friday evening in Fredericton.
With UNB ahead 2-1, Alexandre Goulet scored his second goal of the game at 14:27 of the third to put the Reds ahead by two. He then completed the hat trick when he scored into an empty net with 3:08 remaining.
Mark Simpson sandwiched an empty-netter between Goulet's third-period markers.
Oliver Cooper opened the scoring 2:51 into the second period for UNB, which outshot Acadia 44-19. Ross MacDougall answered early into the third for Acadia.
After dropping the series opener 3-1 on Monday, the Reds outscored the Axemen 11-1 over the next games, including a 6-0 drubbing in Game 2 Wednesday in Wolfville.
Both teams were already guaranteed berths in next week's University Cup championship at Scotiabank Centre. Acadia is the host team and UNB will likely be the No. 1 seed.
The Reds and Axemen will be joined by the Saint Mary's Huskies at the four-day national tournament. SMU snatched the AUS wildcard entry by sweeping the Moncton Aigles Bleus in their consolation series.
