Overtime shootout win vs UPEI extends streak to four
Thompson with 3 points in the Acadia Win
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The Panthers strugglesΒ continued Friday night as they let a late lead slip against the AcadiaΒ AxemenΒ who came out on top 5-4 in a shootout.
The comeback looked complete when the Panthers (5-9-3) stormed in front of their opponent with three third period goals. However,Β with less than three minutes remainingΒ in the game,Β AxemanΒ Stephen Harper tied it at four, sending the matchΒ into overtime.
“That says a lot about our team,”Β said Brett Thompson, who assisted on the game-tying goal and recorded a game-high three points (one goal, two assists). “They got us on our heels and they were giving itΒ toΒ us, but we showed a lot of character and answered back right away.”
Despite surrendering a third period lead,Β AxemenΒ head coach Darren BurnsΒ creditedΒ hisΒ team’s no-quit attitude.
“To get scored on three times in the third and thenΒ come back and win is great,” Burns said. “I’mΒ extremely proud of this team.”
With Friday’s win, Burns’ squad improved to 11-5-1, while extending their win streak to four games.
AimingΒ to get back in the win column, the Panthers controlled the pace from the openingΒ puckΒ drop. OnlyΒ three minutes into the game, Marcus Power fired a cross-ice pass to Brent Andrews who flew in from the slot and redirected it for the quick 1-0 lead.
MomentumΒ shiftedΒ Acadia’s wayΒ near the end of the period whenΒ they scored twice inΒ justΒ three minutes.Β Acadia capitalized on a PanthersΒ miscue at 16:33 whenΒ Tyler Ferry got hold of a blindΒ clearing attempt andΒ scored the game-tying goal,Β his first of the season.
With seconds remaining in the period, MatthewΒ PufahlΒ added to theΒ leadΒ with a power play marker.Β
TheΒ Axemen’sΒ attackΒ continuedΒ early in second asΒ Thompson notched his fifth goal of the season, extending theΒ lead to 3-1.
UPEI was awarded a penalty shot shortly after,Β but Ryan MacKinnon was deniedΒ byΒ goaltender RobertΒ Steeves.
With five power plays and 10 minutes of 5-on-4 hockey, the Panthers had plenty ofΒ opportunities to put a dent inΒ the lead. But theΒ Axemen’sΒ defenceΒ got stronger as the periodΒ progressed, limiting the Panthers to six shots.
DefencemanΒ Nelson Armstrong had a good lookΒ late in the period, firingΒ a rocketΒ from inside the blueΒ lineΒ atΒ SteevesΒ whoΒ made a shoulder-high snatchΒ to keep it at 3-1.
At the 7:02 mark,Β Cody Payne notched hisΒ team-leading tenth goal of the seasonΒ to trimΒ the deficit to 3-2.
At 12:56 J.C. Campagna gathered a rebound off GabeΒ Guertler’sΒ shot andΒ redirected itΒ past the outstretched pad ofΒ Steeves.Β Less than a minute later,Β GuertlerΒ added his fifthΒ goalΒ of the seasonΒ to pullΒ the PanthersΒ ahead 4-3.
ButΒ the lead was short-livedΒ asΒ Harper scored on a one-timer from the right circle offΒ BostonΒ Leier’sΒ feed from behind the net, sending the game to overtime.
After playingΒ to a scoreless draw in the extra frame, theΒ AxemenΒ secured the win when Boston Leier, Stephen Harper and Brett ThompsonΒ scored in the shootout.
The PanthersΒ take onΒ the Dalhousie Tigers on Jan. 6 at MacLauchlan Arena, while the Axemen will finish the first half of the season with a rematch from last weekend against the U Sports No. 1 ranked UNB Varsity Reds.
Provided by Thomas Becker, UPEI Athletics and Recreation