U SPORTS No. 7 Axemen pickup 4-2 over No. 6 Huskies

Steeves stars with 36 saves in victory

(Halifax, NS)Β The AcadiaΒ AxemenΒ added an empty-net goalΒ to beat the Saint Mary’s Huskies 4-2 on Saturday night at the Halifax Forum.Β  It was a back and forth game, with the Huskies coming back to tie it up twice. The thirdΒ AxemenΒ lead of the night proved to be too big a hill to climb.Β 

AxemenΒ tender Robert Steeves (Moncton, N.B.) was the player of the game – making 36Β saves on the night.Β  MathewΒ PufahlΒ (Saskatoon, Sask.), RemyΒ GiftopolousΒ (Ancaster, Ont.), Sam Fioretti (Calgary, Alta.) and Taylor Makin (Blairmore, Alta.) scored for Acadia.Β 

JakeΒ CoughlerΒ (St.Β Catharines, Ont.) and Calder Brooks (Emerald Park, Sask.) responded with goals for SMU.Β Bronson Beaton (Springhill, N.S.) picked up two assists. Eric Brassard (St. Hubert, Que.)Β got the startΒ for the HuskiesΒ making 15Β savesΒ in the losing cause.Β Β 

PufahlΒ put theΒ AxemenΒ on the board just 23 seconds into the game.Β Cristiano DigiacintoΒ (Hamilton, Ont.) andΒ Rodney SouthamΒ picked up helpers on the play.Β  CoughlerΒ tied things up at 1-1 with just over 3-minutes left in the first.Β BeatonΒ and Dylan Diperna (Nobleton, Ont.) had the assists.Β 

GiftopolousΒ made it 2-1 Acadia with a power-play marker 3:32 into the third. Chance Braid (Wainwright, Alta.) set him up on the play. Brooks, assisted by Beaton, pulled Saint Mary’s even again just over a minute later.Β 

FiorettiΒ scored the winnerΒ with a shorthanded tally with just under eight-minutes to go. Boston Leier (Saskatoon, Sask.) had the assist.Β 

Makin slipped one into an empty net to clinch the win with 1:04 left on the clock.Β Β 

Up next, the Huskies are back at the Halifax Forum to host the U des MΒ AiglesΒ Bleus on Wednesday, JanuaryΒ 10. TheΒ AxemenΒ will host the Huskies inΒ Wolfville N.S. on Friday, JanuaryΒ 12.Β 

Cam Honey-Webb, SMU CommunicationsΒ 

Photo Nick PearceΒ