Lepkowski with loan goal for Acadia

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(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Varsity Reds continued their four-game homestand with a 5-1 win over the visiting Acadia Axemen.

Two goals from forward Cam Braes(Shawinigan Lake, BC) led the VReds (7-0-2) to the victory, along with a 19-save performance from goalie Alex Dubeau(Mascouche, QC) and three second period goals, one of them from Braes.

Mike Thomas(New Maryland, NB) picked up a loose puck halfway through the Acadia zone, off a turnover at the hashmarks, and fired it past Axemen netminder Brandon Glover(Victoria, BC) at 3:31 of the first period to get UNB on the board.

Thomas’ goal came on the VReds’ first shot of the game. That goal held up as the lone first period goal.

“I liked a lot of the things we did defensively tonight,” said Darren Burns, head coach of the Axemen. “There were a lot of good things we did, but they have a lot of talent, and they’re a hard team to come back against.”

Both teams came out firing early in the second period.Read more »

Thompson & Harper lead the way for Acadia

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The Acadia Axemen flexed their offensive muscles on the weekend, scoring 13 goals in a pair of AUS hockey victories.

On the road Saturday, the Axemen defeated the Moncton Aigles Bleus 5-3.

At home in Wolfville the night before, the Axemen cooled the Saint Mary’s Huskies 8-3.

At Moncton on Saturday, Acadia received three-point efforts from Brett Thompson, with two power-play goals and an assist, and Stephen Harper, with a goal and two assists. Boston Leier, with two points, and Sam Fioretti also scored for the Axemen.

Acadia freshman Devin Williams made 27 saves, while his teammates fired 35 shots at Moncton’s Brandon Thibeau.

Allain Saulnier assisted on all three Aigles Bleus’ goals, including power-play markers from Pierre Durepos and Jean-Francois Plante and an even-strength marker from Alex Saulnier, Allain’s twin brother.

Fioretti, Farrell, & Harper each with a pair

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It took the Axemen over 26 minutes to get on the board on Friday night, but once they did, they just kept coming. Acadia went on to tally 8 goals enroute to a 8-3 victory over the Saint Mary’s Huskies in Wolfville.

The opening period was a slow moving 20 minutes with many whistles, very little game flow, and just 13 total shots on goal; including the first shot of the game for either team coming after 7 minutes of play. Acadia first year netminder Devin Williams and SMU goalie Cole Cheveldave kept the game scoreless through the opening period.

The second period was a different story. The Huskies opened the scoring on the powerplay, just 44 seconds into the middle frame, when Bronson Beaton was able to beat Axemen netminder Williams. However, at 6:21 the Axemen answered back while shorthanded, as Sam Fioretti chipped a puck passed a pinching SMU defender, leading to a 2 on 1, where he found Kyle Farrell alone at the side of the SMU net, to square the game at 1. Just over 3 minutes later, Axemen freshman Stephen Harper scored his first of two on the night, and under two minutes later, 5th year forward Brett Thompson got on the board, showing great patience holding onto the puck before beating Cheveldave, to make it 3-1 Acadia.

With the Huskies still reeling, Harper added his second of the night at 15:36 of the period, and Sam Fioretti rounded out the period scoring at 19:06, to cap off 5 unanswered Acadia goals in the second period leading to a 5-1 Axemen lead after 2.

With the large lead it appeared Acadia took their foot off the gas peddle momentarily as Saint Mary’s cut the lead to 2 when Hunter Garlent and Stephen Shipley each scored to make it 5-3 with under 9 minutes to play in the third. That seemed to wake the Axemen back up as Boston Leier scored on a beautiful solo effort, as he broke in on a breakaway with SMU defenceman Alex Cord draped all over him and being taken down to the ice, Leier still managed to roof the puck over Cheveldave to make it 6-3 Acadia.Read more »

Fioretti & Farrell each net a pair in victory

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WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Acadia (3-3) snapped a short two game winless streak against the Moncton Aigles Bleus (2-4), that saw 11 goals between the two teams in a 7-4 win for Acadia.

The first period got off to a quick start, with both teams scoring on their first shot of the night.

The scoring was opened by fourth year Axemen forward Michael Clarke (Halifax, N.S), picking up the rebound of third year forward Sam Fioretti (Calgary, Alta.) and burying it into a wide open net.

Moncton was quick to respond, answering with a goal of their own less than 30 seconds later from third year forward and Subway Second Star of the Night, Jean-Francois Plante (Sherbrooke, Que.). Plante sped past the Axemen defense to fire a wrist shot by the Acadia goaltender Brandon Glover (Victoria, B.C.) in tight to tie the game at one.

Acadia dominated the majority of the opening period, outshooting the Aigles Bleus 17-8 by the end of the first frame, but were unable to capitalize until the last minute of the period.

Third year Axemen forward Remy Giftopoulos (Ancaster, Ont.) made a beautiful toe drag around an Aigles Bleus defender at the top of the left offensive zone faceoff dot, in order to dish the puck to Subway First Star of the Night Kyle Farrell (Howie Center, N.S.). Farrell tipped the puck into a wide open net, past Aigles Bleus goalie Brandon Thibeau (Riverview, N.B.) who was out of position. Heading into the second, the Axemen were up 2-1.Read more »

Valley netminder voted ECAC’s Goaltender of the Week

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The Acadia hockey community would like to say congratulations to Grande Pre’s Kate Spooner on being voted the ECAC’s Goaltender of the week. Kate is suiting up this season in Division 1 with Union College, and we wish her continued success throughout the season.

ALBANY, NY –Β First year defenseman Abby Ellis and first year goaltender Kate Spooner were both received ECACΒ honors,Β as announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon.

Ellis was named Rookie of the Week after netting a goal and adding an assist in Friday’s 2-0 win over RIT. She helped on the eventual game winner in the second period as she helped find Katie Laughlin who scored her first career goal for Union to put the Dutchwomen up 1-0. Ellis would get her own career first as just 39 second into the third period she found the back of the net for her first career goal in Garnet and White.

Spooner also played an integralΒ part in the victory over the Tigers as she stopped all 16 shots that she faced recording her first career collegiate shutout. For her efforts she was voted as the ECACΒ Goaltender of the Week finishing the weekend with a save percentage of .953.

This was the first time since Dec. of 2014 that Union has won back-to-back games.

Union is back on the ice tonight as it travels to Providence for a midweek clash in with the Friars. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

McNalty with lone Acadia goal

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(Halifax, NS) The Saint Mary’s University Huskies beat the Acadia Axemen 4-1 in front of 575 fans at the Halifax Forum on Wednesday Oct. 19. The Huskies win gives both teams a 2-3 record on the season.

Cole Cheveldave (Calgary AB) was huge in the Huskies win, coming through with several spectacular saves. He ended up stopping 30 of the 31 shots he faced to pick up his first win of the season.

The Huskies had four different goal scorers on the night, as Bronson Beaton (Springhill, NS), Alex Cord (Toronto, ON), Bradley Latour (Barrie, ON) and Taylor Burke (Halifax,NS) all found the back of the net.

Marc McNalty (Medicine Hat, AB) responded for the Axemen.

The Huskies were in penalty trouble all game but were able to kill off all nine Axemen power-plays, including two separate five-on-three opportunities.

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Cheveldave’s brilliance started just 4:30 in to the game as he made three huge saves in succession to keep the Axemen from picking up an early lead.

The Axemen went on their first power-play 9:23 in. Brett Thompson (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) had a great chance down low to the right of the net but Cheveldave stretched out his left leg and got his skate on it for the save.Read more »

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By John DeCoste (’77)

Geoff Schemitsch, a fourth-year student-athlete and member of the Acadia hockey Axemen, has moved around a good deal during his career, but it’s unlikely his travels have included a trip to meet His Excellency the Governor-General of Canada David Johnston at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

That’s where Schemitsch will be November 8 after being named a CIS Top-Eight Academic All-Canadian. Academic All-Canadians are exceptional student-athletes who achieve an academic standing of 80 per cent or better while playing on one of their university’s varsity teams. Among these outstanding individuals, one female and one male from each CIS regional association are selected annually. Schemitsch is this year’s AUS representative.

It’s the fourth year in a row that an Acadia student-athlete has earned CIS Top-Eight Academic All-Canadian status. Previous honorees include Katie Ross (in 2015), Michelle Pryde (2014), and Travis Gibbons (2013).

In pursuit of excellence

Growing up in Thornhill, Ontario, in the northeast sector of Toronto, Schemitsch tried a variety of sports as a youngster, but by about age 10 it was pretty much all hockey.

He became a AAA-level player in his final year in the novice division. He started his career as a forward, but shifted to defense in his second year of novice. β€œOur team had a few injuries on defense,” he says. β€œI started playing D in the playoffs that year, and made it permanent the following year.”Read more »

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TORONTO (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport proudly announced Wednesday the student-athletes selected as Top Eight Academic All-Canadians for the 2015-2016 season. Acadia’s Geoff Schemitsch, a fourth year hockey player, was named to the Top 8. It is the fourth year in a row for Acadia to be honoured with a CIS Top 8.

Link to Story on Geoff Schemitsch>

The elite group will be honoured in Ottawa on November 8, when His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, presents the fourth annual Governor General’s Academic All-Canadian Commendation to the eight recipients during a ceremony at Rideau Hall, his official residence.
Every year, a growing number of CIS student-athletes are recognized as Academic All-Canadians, having maintained an average of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while competing for one – or more – of their university’s varsity teams.

Among these outstanding individuals, one female and one male student-athlete from each of the four CIS regional associations are selected annually to make up the Top Eight.

The 2015-16 recipients from Atlantic University Sport (AUS) are Elenor Henry (Toronto), a soccer player and biochemistry student from Mount Allison University, and Geoff Schemitsch (Thornhill, Ont.), a hockey player and kinesiology student from Acadia University.Read more »

Giftopoulos nets a pair in loss

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Wolfville, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen were unable to pull off the comeback, as the Axemen (2-2) dropped their final game of the two game Homecoming weekend, 5-3 to the StFX X-Men (3-1).

The X-Men were quick to get on the board, with third year forward and Subway First Star of the Night, Kristoff Kontos (Penetanguishene, Ont.), scoring on the team’s first shot of the night.

Kontos took a cross ice pass from second year forward, Holden Cook (Oshawa, Ont.), to slide the puck under the right pad of Axemen goaltender, Devon Williams (Detroit, Michigan).

The X-Men bookended the period with only 6.4 seconds left to play. Rookie forward Bryson Cianfrone, (Stoney Creek, Ont.) curled in front of the net and waited out a sprawling Williams, before sliding it under Williams’ glove at the side of the net to give StFX a 2-0 advantage.

Despite leading in shots 15-6, the Axemen were unable to find the back of the net in the first frame.

Once again the X-Men opened the scoring in the second period, with second year forward Mark Tremaine (Dartmouth, N.S.) scooping the puck up in an offensive zone faceoff and firing it low blocker side past Williams, to put the X-Men up 3-0.

Acadia finally responded with a hard wrist shot at the top of the left faceoff dot from second year defenseman Liam Maaskant (Clinton, Ont.), to cut the X-Men lead to 3-1. Just like the period before, the X-Men scored within the last minute of the second, when a wide open Holden Cook (Oshawa, Ont.) fired a wrist shot in tight, beating Williams low glove side.Read more »

Mike Cazzola leads Fort Wayne to ECHL opening night win

Photo By Josh Schaefer/CIS University Cup
Photo By Josh Schaefer/CIS University Cup

On Acadia University homecoming weekend 2016, Acadia alumnus Mike Cazzola couldn’t make the trek to his alma matter, as he was playing in his 1st regular season pro hockey game with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets. Cazzola made the Alumni community proud as he put up three assists to lead his team to a 6-2 victory on opening night for his new league.

The three point night was no surprise to Axemen fans who were accustomed to Cazzola putting points on the board over his 4 years leading the AUS Axemen with 133 regular season points. The shifty forward picked up where he left off at Acadia in the ECHL pre-season as he added 5 assists in just 3 games prior to Friday nights regular season opener.

Looking forward to watching Mike’s continued success this year with Fort Wayne; to keep tabs on the Komets check out www.komets.com