Heartbreak in Halifax

Acadia falls 6-5 to UQTR in Overtime

The Acadia Axemen dropped a heartbreaking 6-5 overtime defeat at the hands of the UQTR Patriotes on Friday afternoon in Halifax. The game was the third of four University Cup quarterfinal matchups, with the winner moving on to the semi finals, and the loser going home.

Going into the third period Acadia held a 4-1 lead but UQTR would outscore the Axemen 4-1 in the third period to tie the game at 5 to force sudden death overtime, where UQTR’s Vincent Marcoux, took the puck from his own blue line, moved in on a 2 on 1, and decided to shoot, ripping a shot short side on Axemen goaltender Brandon Glover to send his team to the University Cup semifinals.

The Axemen came out of the gate hot, firing 15 shots at UQTR starting goalie Francis Desrosiers, with only a powerplay marker, at the 10 minute mark, off the stick of Acadia 5^th year quarterback defenceman Chris Owens beating the goalie. Before the period ended an ugly play, as UQTR forward Carl-Antoine Delisle took a clear run at Axemen Captain Liam Heelis, as Heelis came around the net with the puck, sending Heelis to the ice. Delisle was given a 5 minute major for a hit to the head and a game misconduct for the infraction, while Heelis got up woozy and did not return for the remainder of the game. The Axemen would take a 1-0 lead into the dressing room after a period. Axemen goalie Brandon Glover turned aside all 9 shots he faced.

The second period was all Axemen, as Remy Giftopoulos fired home a powerplay goal just 1:22 into the frame, and before the goal could be announced, fellow first year forward Boston Leier scored another to put Acadia up 3-0. The goals came just 43 seconds apart.

But UQTR answered back to stay in the game, as Martin Lefebvre banged one home at 12:17 to cut the Axemen lead to 2. Acadia would pad their lead back to three before the period would end, when Taylor Makin smacked home a rebound, off a shot from Travis Gibbons to put his team up 4-1. Following the goal, the UQTR coaching staff decided to make a netminder change, as Desrosiers came out and 4^th year goalie Guilliame Nadeau came in. The coaching decision would prove crucial. Acadia took the 4-1 lead into the 2^nd intermission outshooting the Patriotes 11-7 in the 2nd frame.

But the Patriotes came out to fresh ice in the third period with new jump in their step, as they found a way to get another by Glover just 58 seconds in, cutting the Axemen lead back down to 2 goals at 4-2; Guillaume Asselin with the goal. But again, Acadia answered to seemingly stop any chance of a UQTR comeback as Mike Cazzola roofed a Zach Franko rebound home to make it 5-2 at the 6:41 mark of the 3^rd period. But the Patriotes would not give up, as Felix Plouffe had a puck go off of his skate and into the Axemen net to cut it back to 2 goal difference at 9:44. Less than 3 minutes later UQTR scored again as Billy Lacasse made it a one goal game at 5-4. Just 19 seconds later, with Acadia still reeling and looking for answers, Guillaume Asselin lifted a rebound up and over the shoulder of a fallen Brandon Glover to miraculously tie the game at 5.

Acadia was able to push back and actually have the better scoring chances in the final minutes of the third, with freshman Boston Leier making an unreal solo effort dancing around 2 Patriote defenders before netminder Nadeau did his best Dominik Hasek impression and sprawled out to get just enough of Leier’s shot to keep it out of the net, just seconds before the third period buzzer sounded.

The Axemen had a great chance to seal the game in overtime as UQTR’s Martin Lefebvre went off for hooking. Ironically, the hook actually saved the game for his team as the Axemen’s Brett Thompson had the puck just to the side of the UQTR net with Nadeau down and out and a gaping wide open net but Lefebvre hooked Thompson enough so the Acadia sniper couldn’t get the shot off. Despite some great chances with the man advantage, they could not get the winner. And at 8:40 it was Asselin firing home the winner for #UQTR.

Final shots on goal were 41 from Acadia and 32 from UQTR. Following the game Coach Darren Burns said Captain Liam Heelis is showing positive signs, following the first period hit; Heelis remained on the bench cheering his team on for the remainder of the game despite the injury.

Following the game, Coach Darren Burns, and 5th year defenceman Chris Owens attended the University Cup Press Conference, see the video below. (3 videos)