Axemen split week with loss to Huskies in Halifax

Henderson with lone Acadia goal

HALIFAX, N.S. – The Saint Mary’s Huskies men’s hockey team completed a crucial four-point weekend with a 6-1 win over the AcadiaΒ AxemenΒ on Saturday night, while the Axemen split the week with a win at UPEI and a loss tonight against the Huskies.

The first period started off with a quick pace, but halfway through the period started to get bogged down with stoppages in play.Β Β 

TheΒ AxemenΒ had two breakaways in the first period, one stopped by Huskies goaltender Matt Welsh (Halifax, N.S. / Commerce) and one kept out by the crossbar.Β Β 

The Huskies outshot theΒ AxemenΒ 17-6 in the first period, but were unable to beatΒ AxemenΒ goaltenderΒ Max PaddockΒ on their first 16 shots.

It looked like the first period was going to go by without a score, until the dying seconds of the frame, when Keith Getson (Bridgewater, N.S.) scored in a scramble with one second on the clock, giving the Huskies a one goal advantage heading into the second.Β 

In the second period, there was a controversial penalty given to theΒ AxemenΒ for goaltenderΒ interference. AndrewΒ CoxheadΒ (Bedford N.S. / Commerce) was able to capitalize on the Huskies’Β powerplay, giving the home team a 2-0 lead.Β 

The Huskies’ period momentum continued less than three minutes later, as Bradley Johnson (Lindsay O.N. / Arts) added another goal to the Huskies’ lead, scoring on a breakaway created by a beautiful feed pass fromΒ Coxhead.Β 

TheΒ AxemenΒ took one back late in the period whenΒ Eric HendersonΒ threw a shot on the net on aΒ brokenΒ play that snuck past Welsh. The Huskies didn’t waste much time getting back theirΒ threeΒ goal advantage, as KeithΒ GetsonΒ scored his second of the game just two minutes after theΒ AxemenΒ goal.Β 

The Huskies’ dominant play continued into the third, as MitchellΒ BalmasΒ scored his team’s fifth of the night beating theΒ Axemen’sΒ Max PaddockΒ with a clean shot to give the home team a 5-1 lead.Β 

AndrewΒ Coxhead’sΒ second goal of the game added late insurance, putting the Huskies up 6-1.Β 

Midway through the third period, one of the Huskies players crashed intoΒ AxemenΒ goalieΒ Max Paddock, whoΒ was replaced byΒ LoganΒ FlodellΒ between the pipesΒ after the crash.Β Β 

BalmasΒ was named first star and Subway Player of the Game with aΒ four-pointΒ night (one goal, three assists), moving him into a tie for second in the conference with 20 points on the campaign.Β CoxheadΒ was named second star with two goals and two assists, andΒ GetsonΒ was named the third star with a pair of goals.Β 

With the win, the Huskies improve to 7-6-1 on the season and take over sole possession of third place in the conference.Β 

The Huskies will be back on home ice next Friday when theΒ UniversiteΒ de MonctonΒ AiglesΒ Bleus visit theΒ DauphineeΒ Centre.Β 

TheΒ AxemenΒ will also return to the ice next Friday as they host the University of New Brunswick Reds.