Redmen grad Pearce takes on his alma mater

By Bill Hunt

The Daily Gleaner

FREDERICTON -- Forgive Steve Pearce if his New Year's Eve song selection is not the traditional "Auld Lang Syne", but the Joni Mitchell standard "Both Sides Now."

Pearce, who is in his fifth and final season of university hockey eligibility as an extra defenceman with the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, figures to have mixed emotions tomorrow night when he suits up against the McGill Redmen of Montreal in exhibition action at the Aitken Centre. Pearce played four seasons at McGill before transferring to attend law school at UNB in 2008. Along with playing when needed, Pearce has helped with the coaching at UNB this season.

By then, the 27-year-old assistant coach/emergency blueliner with the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds will have lived it.

Pearce, the third-year law student and twin brother of 2007 CIS tournament hero Rob Pearce - he scored the overtime game winner to deliver the V-Reds their second national championship against the host Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus in Moncton - will be in the lineup Thursday when the V-Reds host his old alma mater, the McGill Redmen in exhibition CIS hockey action.