Posted on Posted in Game Recaps

Paddock records his first AUS win

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Make it two straight home wins for the Acadia Axemen (2-2-0), as the team grabbed a 3-2 win against the Moncton Aigles Bleus on Friday night. Acadia was helped by the performance of their goaltender and third star of the night Max Paddock, who turned aside 29 of 31 shots on the night.

Although Acadia held the lead for the entirety of the game, Moncton applied plenty of pressure, as they had the Axemen scrambling defensively in the final minute of the game with a 6-on-5 advantage in the Acadia zone.

Although the Axemen only had eight shots in the opening frame, they held a 2-1 lead by period end.

The home team opened the scoring early with a marker from Subway First Star of the Game Maurizio Colella exactly four minutes into the first period.

Colella streaked in front of the net, where he took a pass from Eric Henderson – who was set up behind the Moncton net – and waited out the goalie on his forehand just long enough to slide it in for a 1-0 lead.

To double up their lead, Adam McMaster tallied a power-play marker. McMaster took a cross-zone pass from McFadden at the top of the left face-off circle and wired a wrist shot bar down on the right side of the net.

Moncton cut the lead in half late in the frame when Edouard St-Laurent nabbed the puck in Acadia’s end as both teams were getting ready to leave the zone.

St-Laurent deked out the goalie in tight and lifted a quick wrister under the blocker to set the score at 2-1.

By the end of the first period, the shots were in Moncton’s favour, 10-8.

Chances were had by both sides throughout the second period, but Acadia was the only team to put up any offence in the frame, taking a 3-1 lead into the third.

Shortly after the halfway mark of the second period, Nick Deakin-Poot knocked a puck out of the air in the Moncton zone on a penalty kill. He walked in on the goalie and lifted the puck under the crossbar to give Acadia a 3-1 lead.

At the end of the second period, Acadia held a 24-18 lead in shots.

Moncton answered back early in the third period on a goal from Nathaniel Roy.

Roy picked up a rebound off the goalie’s right pad and fired it in to cut Moncton’s deficit to one.

Yet, that was as close as Moncton would come to tying the game, as they were unable to solve Paddock for the rest of the third, which sealed the Acadia win.

Moncton goalie Emile Samson turned aside 29 of 32 shots.

The second star of the night honours went to Moncton defenceman Francis Thibeault.

The Axemen take to the ice again on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at home against the StFX X-Men, while Moncton faces off against the Saint Mary’s Huskies Saturday, Oct. 16.

Posted on Posted in Team Stories
Jack and his girlfriend Emma Stevens ran the half marathon this past weekend.

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – By John DeCoste ’77 – On Oct. 10, Flaman, a Saskatchewan native, fourth-year Acadia business student and three-year hockey Axemen veteran, ran the half marathon as part of the 29th annual Valley Harvest Marathon.

Despite playing a pair of Axemen hockey games on Friday (in Wolfville) and Saturday (in Antigonish), the 24-year-old Flaman completed the 21.1-kilometre distance in around one hour and 51 minutes.

He took on the challenge as a way of honoring his older brother Mike, diagnosed a year ago with multiple sclerosis (MS), and as a means of raising funds and awareness for MS research.

“I’ve been training for it all summer,” Flaman said in an Oct. 6 interview. He admittedly had not run anything close to a 21-kilometre distance before. “Never,” he said. “It’s something new for me.”

Asked the longest distance he had run at one time, Flaman said that as part of his pre-race training, “I’ve gotten up to around 16 kilometres.” He was confident he would complete the half marathon distance on Oct. 10, adding, “it’s going to be fun. I’m not going to quit now.”

By taking on this challenge, he said, “I am looking to show that regular exercise and being outside doing things is good for you and will likely prolong your life.”

Flaman credited his girlfriend Emma Stevens for playing a big part in his pre-race training and preparation. “One day, she suggested we go running together,” he said – and it became a regular occurrence. Stevens agreed to run part of the half marathon with Flaman. “We’ll run it together.”

His mother Tricia has also been a huge support, especially with his fundraising. “She’s coming out here for the weekend,” Flaman said of his mom. “She hasn’t been here in a year-and-a-half. It’s pretty exciting. She’ll not only get to see me run, but also get to see me play two hockey games.”

In a follow-up email Oct. 11, Flaman described the race as “really fun, actually. The support from all the people on the side of the track really keeps you going.”

He was pleased with his race result, particularly for his first time running the distance. He and Stevens “ran the first half together, and she helped me get through the early grind.” Overall, he “managed to stick to my game plan of taking it easy off the start and getting faster as it went on.”

Flaman’s other goal, raising funds for and awareness of MS, also went well, he said. When we spoke Oct. 6, he had managed to raise around $7,500 toward his ultimate goal of $10,000.

He said Oct. 11, “I managed to surpass my goal of $10,000 before the race started, so I had some extra motivation. I can’t thank enough all the people who supported me and made donations,” he said.

“It started off slow,” he said of the fundraising, “because I didn’t tell a lot of people about it at first. Since I’ve put it out there, the support has been great.”

Flaman said and his brother have always been close. “Mike is three and a half years older than me. Over the past five or six years, we’ve gotten closer than we were when we were younger.”

They have become closer still since Mike’s diagnosis, and despite the distance between Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, Jack has been there for Mike as much as he can.

After playing hockey at the recreational level, Mike Flaman has taken over helping with the operation of the family dairy farm. “He’s looking to carry on the family business.”

Jack, on the other hand, played four years with a series of junior and major junior hockey teams in western Canada before being recruited to Acadia in the fall of 2018. He played two seasons with the Axemen before he and his teammates had to take last season off due to Covid-19.

He is looking forward to playing a full season in 2021-2022, and also that Acadia is scheduled to host the 2022 University Cup in Halifax next March. “Our goal is to earn our way there, not just be there.”

As for MS, asked if there might be a chance that he might be diagnosed someday, Flaman replied, “with MS, you never really know. That’s the scary part.” His brother, he pointed out, is only 27. “He’s on an experimental medicine program through Health Canada, which is making a big difference for him.”

Posted on Posted in Game Recaps

Flodell with 40 saves in Axemen loss

(FREDERICTON, NB) In a renewal of one of Atlantic University Sports’ intensifying rivalries, the UNB REDS scored three times in a five-minute span of the third period as they beat the Acadia Axemen 4-1, Wednesday night.

“It feels awesome,” said veteran REDS forward James McEwan (Chatham, ON), named Subway Player of the Game. “We haven’t really been down before, in this early part of the season, so it was good. A little bit of adversity for us to learn from and have a little bit of a fire under our butts. I thought we did a really good job answering the bell during the third.”

The game was played before 1710 fully-vaccinated and masked fans at Fredericton’s Aitken Centre.

The visitors were first to get on the scoreboard when Peyton Hoyt (Fredericton, NB) converted a one-timer on a pass from Mason McCarty (Blackie, AB) at 13:35 of the opening period.

The teams played through a scoreless second period, but it wasn’t without scoring opportunities.

Just before the eight-minute mark, UNB’s Rylan Parenteau (Saskatoon, SK) made a sprawling save on a Jack Flaman (Vibank, SK) shot from point-blank range to hold the Acadia lead to just a goal.

Logan Flodell (Regina, SK) made an equally impressive save at 13:57, with UNB working a power-play. Moments later, he got some help from defenceman Reilly Webb (Stoney Creek, ON), who got a piece of Brady Gilmour’s (Grafton, ON) shot that was destined for the back of the net.

The two teams went to the second intermission with Acadia in front 1-0.

Cue the REDS scoring explosion.

UNB finally got to Flodell at 7:08 of the third, when James Phelan (Laval, QC) swept across the front of the net and slid the puck past the Axemen netminder.

Four minutes later, McEwan broke down the left wing, crossed in front of the Acadia net and lifted a back-hand shot over Flodell to give UNB the lead.

Less than a minute after McEwan’s goal, Jason Willms (Kitchener, ON) scored his first AUS goal to put UNB up 3-1.

The REDS were then forced to kill a double-minor penalty assessed to McEwan. A deflated Axemen squad could not muster a shot during the power-play.

Nicolas Guay (Chateauguay, QC) added an empty net goal to make the final score 4-1.

“The third period, we pride ourselves in it and we know it’s our best period and the guys had the urgency of getting pucks to the net, everybody was going to the net and I think it was about time that somebody would bang one in and James Phelan got us going,” said McEwan. “Lucky enough, we had three more to pot and we were so solid in the back end, everybody really contributed.”

The REDS outshot the Axemen 44-14, but Acadia controlled the game for the first 40 minutes.

“I thought we played really well in the first and the second,” said Hoyt, in his first season with the Axemen. “Then, you know how hockey is, you can get a couple of bounces and it can change just like that, but I thought the team played really well and I think we’ll just get better for the next game coming up on Friday.”

“It felt great,” said REDS defenceman Ross MacDougall (St. Stephen, NB). He spent three seasons with the Axemen, but is now pursuing a Masters degree at UNB. “I thought we played well all game, it was just a matter of time before we beat ’em. Flodell, obviously, had a great game. It was nice to finally break through and get a couple on him.”

With the win, the REDS are now 3-and-0. The Axemen fall to 1-and-2.

UNB now awaits a Friday night visit by the Saint Mary’s Huskies. Game time is 7:00pm.

The Axemen return home and will host Moncton that same night.

 

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics

Posted on Posted in Game Recaps

Hoyt with Acadia goal

Antigonish, NS – The STFX X-Men hockey team gave the home crowd something to cheer about with a 2-1 victory over the Acadia Axemen Saturday night at the Keating Centre in a closely contested game.

The first two periods saw a lot of action but no goals scored as both Acadia’s Logan Flodell (Regina, SK) and STFX’s Joseph Raaymakers (Chatham, ON) kept clean sheets though 40 minutes.

There was no shortage of hits, and a minor boondoggle near the end of the second period resulted in 10-minute misconducts for X’s Declan Smith (Antigonish, NS) and Acadia’s Nicholas Deakin-Poot (Georgetown, ON).

STFX struck first in the third period with Matthew Philip (Ilderton, ON) finding twine while the X-Men were on a two-man power play. Liam Hawel (Arnprior, ON) fed STFX captain Santino Centorame (Mississauga, ON) in the low slot who fired a shot with Phillip banging in the rebound at the 2:02 mark.

Acadia made it a game just over a minute and a half later when Peyton Hoyt (Fredericton, NB) picked up the puck in the neutral zone and fired a shot from the slot that eluded Raaymakers.

The X-Men scored the game winning goal at 11:41 of the third period on a nice tic-tac-toe play. Zack Trott (Mulmur, ON) made a pass to Hawel across the slot, then Hawel snapped it right back to him and Trott buried the puck in the wide open Axemen goal. Matthew Struthers (Milton,ON) had the other assist on the play.

Acadia made things interesting with a power play with 17 seconds remaining in the game, but the X-Men held on for the victory.

With the win, STFX moves to 2-0-0 early in the regular season, while Acadia falls to 1-1.

Flodell earned the third star of the game for his 34 save performance. STFX’s Hawel received the second star, and X goaltender Raaymakers was the first star and Subway player of the game with his 32 saves and second win on the young season.

STFX next hits the ice on Wednesday to take on Dalhousie at home, while Acadia heads to UNB on Wednesday and hosts Moncton on Friday.

Posted on Posted in Game Recaps

McFadden with 3 points in Acadia win

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen (1-0-0) opened their regular season on a high note, securing a 5-2 victory over the Dalhousie Tigers (0-0-1) on Friday night.

On a night that saw the home crowd pay tribute to Acadia captain Garrett McFadden before the game, the defenceman also took home Subway First Star of the Game honours with a goal and two assists.

Dalhousie got on the board early in the first period, thanks in part to a full 2-minute 5-on-3 power-play.

Darien Kleib, who also nabbed second star of the night honours, scored on a wrist shot from inside the right face-off circle, which he rifled into the top left corner of the net to make it 1-0 for the Tigers.

Acadia responded with a beautiful goal from forward Loch Morrison with 7:48 left to play in the first. Defenceman Garrett McFadden carried the puck into the zone for Acadia and dangled past a Tigers defender before sliding the puck to Loch Morrison in front of the net, where he tucked it five-hole to tie the game at 1-1.

By the end of the first period, the shots were 10-6 for Acadia.

McFadden spiced things up for Acadia early in the second with an incredible solo effort to put the Axemen ahead 2-1. After breaking into the offensive zone with a 2-on-1 opportunity, McFadden slipped around the Dalhousie defender and roofed a backhand shot to make it 2-1.

Brett Crossley answered for Dalhousie late in the second period with a sneaky shot thrown past a diving Axemen goalie to tie the game at 2-2.

However, the Dalhousie lead was short-held, as Acadia recaptured the lead less than two minutes later. Peyton Hoyt was parked in front of the net, where he picked up his own rebounded tip shot and tucked it under the sprawling Tigers goalie to put Acadia up 3-2.

Logan Flodell made a pair of unbelievable saves for the Axemen in the second period. In both cases, Flodell threw himself across the net and somehow keeping the puck out both times while laying on his back.

Heading into the third period, the Axemen held a 21-15 lead in shots.

Acadia sealed the game with two unanswered goals in the third from third star of the night Jack Flaman and Tyler Hinam.

The Axemen capitalized on an early power-play in the third period to double up on the Tigers. Thanks to a huge point shot rebound, forward Jack Flaman – parked by the right side of the net – was able to slam the puck over the goal line to take a 4-2 lead for Acadia.

Hinam sealed the game for Acadia with an empty-net goal with just under two minutes left in the game.

The game took an unfortunate turn with under a minute to play, as a full line brawl broke out between the two teams that led to a combined 19 penalty minutes.

Acadia went 1-for-4 on the power-play, while Dalhousie went 1-for-7 on the night.

Logan Flodell turned aside 27 of 29 shots for Acadia, while Dalhousie goalie Connor Hicks stopped 29 of 33 shots.

Acadia will be on the road Saturday, Oct. 9 against the StFX X-Men and Wednesday, Oct. 13 against the UNB Reds before returning home Friday, Oct. 15 to face off against the Moncton Aigles Bleus. Dalhousie next plays Saturday, Oct. 9 at home against the Saint Mary’s Huskies.

Provided by Josh Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications