Category: Game Recaps

McCollum stops 25 of 29 shots in loss

Recap by Troy Langstaff / SMU Huskies Athletics

The Saint Mary’s Huskies kept their perfect record alive with a 4-0 victory over the Acadia Axemen Wednesday night at the Dauphinee Centre. 

U SPORTS released their latest rankings on Tuesday which saw the Huskies punch their way into the top ten at #4 in the country. SMU came out of the gates with confidence, but the visiting Axemen were up to the task bringing a physical style of play to counter. 

The first good chance off the game came seven minutes into the frame when the Huskies worked the puck across the offensive zone with the shot from Sam King (Hampton, NB) ringing off the post. 

Saint Mary’s took back-to-back penalties which gave Acadia 27 seconds of 5-on-3. They were unable to capitalize and as the Huskies got back to even strength Nathan Dunkley (Campbellford, ON) came off the bench, collected the puck in the neutral zone, carried it across the blue line and using the defender as a screen, fired a wrist shot past Conor McCollum (Pickering, ON) to open the scoring. 

Acadia took a penalty eight seconds after the goal and SMU almost extended their lead. A quick shot from Andrew Coxhead (Bedford, NS) in the slot was saved by McCollum and Bradey Johnson’s (Lindsay, ON) second chance opportunity was also thwarted by the fifth-year goalie. 

Shots were 9-9 at the first intermission. 

Saint Mary’s was unable to score on an early powerplay in the second period but just minutes later Joel Bishop (St. John’s, NL) was tripped up on a breakaway which awarded him a penalty shot. On the attempt he skated in slow and tried to slide the puck five hole, but McCollum made a stick save. 

It wouldn’t take long though for the Huskies to get another chance. The Axemen got caught on a bad change which resulted in a 3-on-2 rush for SMU. Cedric Ralph (Peterborough, ON) fed a pass to Keith Getson (Bridgewater, NS) who snapped a shot underneath the arm of McCollum to extend the lead to 2-0. 

Acadia had a chance to get back in the game when an unsuccessful but dangerous powerplay that turned into five straight minutes of offensive zone time without a whistle. The best chance came on a spin-o-rama pass from Nicholas Deakin-Poot (Georgetown, ON) to Merrick Rippon (Ottawa, ON) who launched a shot off Matthew Welsh’s (Halifax, NS) mask. Seconds later Cole Rafuse (Kingston, ON) just narrowly missed the open net on a back hand try. The Axemen dominated play for the five-minute stretch and fired eight shots on goal during that time but were unable to beat Welsh. 

Minutes later Reilly Webb (Stoney Creek, ON) got a two-minute minor and 10-minute misconduct for hitting from behind putting the Huskies on the powerplay. During the man advantage Dawson Theede (Brooklin, ON) slid a pass into the slot for a wide-open Coxhead who fired the shot off the post and in to give SMU the 3-0 lead. 

Acadia led in shots 25-19 after 40 minutes of play.  

Just three and a half minutes into the final period the home side would add another tally. This time it was Charlie Dafonseca (Thornhill, ON) who, off a SMU clearing attempt, beat the Acadia defender in a race to the puck then went in on a partial break before flipping the puck over McCollum’s shoulder.  

Liam Kidney (Enfield, NS) had a great chance to answer for Acadia when he went in a breakaway of his own but snapped the shot wide of the net. The Axemen got another late 2-on-1 chance but it resulted in another pad save by Welsh off the shot by Kidney. 

Saint Mary’s held on for the 4-0 victory. Welsh made 28 saves for his 2nd shutout of the year and earned AUS Player of the Game honours. 

With the loss the Axemen record drops to 2-2 on the season. Acadia’s next test comes on Saturday when they host the UPEI Panthers in Wolfville. 

The Huskies win improved their record to 4-0 on the season, with an impressive +14 goal differential. Saint Mary’s will travel to Charlottetown on Friday to take on the Panthers. Puck drop is 7 p.m. 

McCollum stops 27 of 30 shots for Acadia

WOLFVILLE,  N.S. – It was a rousing comeback victory for the Acadia Axemen (2-1-0) on Homecoming weekend against the Moncton Aigles Bleus (1-2-0) on Saturday night.

Rookie Axemen Liam Kidney (Enfield, N.S.) was a big reason for the Acadia victory, as he potted a hat trick in Acadia’s 6-3 win.  He was awarded the Subway First Star of the Night honours for his efforts.

Moncton opened the scoring on the night when Yann-Felix Lapointe (Granby, Que.) wired a puck off the right post and into the net.

The lead was short-lived for the Aigles Bleus, as Acadia forward Liam Kidney tied the game just under a minute later.

Kidney took a shot from the top of the left circle to make it 1-1.

Moncton came storming back with a power-play marker from Vincent Deslauriers (Blainville, Que.) two minutes later. He ripped a shot from the point on the left side that fooled the Acadia goalie and gave the Aigles Bleus their only lead of the game.

Heading into the second, Moncton held a 2-1 lead despite being outshot by the Axemen.

Kidney answered the call for his team again, scoring the first of three unanswered goals on the night for the Axemen in the second period.

For his second goal, Kidney took a pass from Merrick Rippon (Ottawa, Ont.) and ripped a shot past the Moncton goalie Felix-Anthony Ethier (Deux-Montagnes, Que.) to make it 2-2.

Forward Peyton Hoyt (Fredericton, N.B.) potted another marker for the Axemen on a tap-in goal in front of the net to give Acadia their first lead of the game.

To cap off the period, Cole Nagy (Saskatoon, Sask.) scored the first goal of his USPORTS career less than a minute after Hoyt’s to double their lead 4-2. Nagy was named the third star of the night for his efforts.

At the end of the second period, Acadia held a commanding 32-16 lead in shots.

Kidney capped off his hat trick in the third period with a goal in close of the Moncton goal. In the first three games of the season, Kidney has scored five goals, which is good enough for second in the AUS.

For his final goal of the game, Kidney chipped a pass from Brendan Sellan in front of the net to make it 5-2.

Moncton responded with a goal in the final minutes of the game from the second star of the night, Vincent Lanoune (Repentigny, Que.), on a cross-ice tap-in in front of the net.

Nick Deakin-Poot (Georgetown, Ont.) sealed the victory for the Axemen with an empty-net short-handed goal.

Axemen goalie Conor McCollum (Pickering, Ont.) turned aside 27 of 30 shots on the night, while his Moncton counterpart Ethier stopped 38 of 43 shots on the night.

Acadia returns to the ice on Wednesday, Oct. 20 night against Saint Mary’s before returning home on Saturday, Oct. 22 to take on the UPEI Panthers. The puck drop for both games is 7:00 pm. Moncton travels to Saint Mary’s for a rare Sunday evening game.

Kidney scores in Acadia loss

Wolfville, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen (1-1-0) kicked off their regular season home opener to a raucous home crowd on Saturday night but came up short in a 4-1 loss to the STFX X-Men (1-0-0).

StFX forward Liam Hawel (Arnprior, Ont.) scored two goals and took home Subway First Star of the Night honours.

Despite nabbing a lead early in the first, the Axemen ultimately came up short. The X-Men overwhelmed offensively as the game went on and the Axemen failed to capitalize on their five power-plays on the night.

The Axemen opened the scoring with 13:21 remaining in the first period on a marker from the second star of the game, Liam Kidney (Enfield, N.S.).

Kidney broke into the offensive zone with a 3-on-1 and slipped the puck under the pad of the X-Men goalie Joseph Raaymakers (Chatham, Ont.) to make it 1-0.

Acadia’s goal came shortly after they killed off a potent power play by the X-Men. Conor McCollum (Pickering, Ont.) turned away a fantastic breakaway opportunity by X-Men forward Matthew Struthers (Milton, Ont.) early in the frame to preserve Acadia’s momentum.

At the end of the first period, the teams were tied 9-9 in shots.

StFX jumped out to their first lead of the game early in the second period on a short-handed marker from Brendon Clavell Kapuskasing, Ont.).

Acadia had a number of solid scoring opportunities in the second, but they could not solve the X-Men goalie Raaymakers, who put in a strong performance.

By the end of the period, the X-Men held a 21-18 shot lead.

Liam Hawel sealed the victory for the X-Men with a nifty wrist shot from the high slot on the power play with 12:37 left in the final period.

For insurance, Hawel buried an empty-net goal in the final minute of the game.

Combined, the teams had 54 penalty minutes on the night, with both teams getting five power-play opportunities.

Axemen goalie Conor McCollum stopped 37 of 41 shots, while his X-Men counterpart Joseph Raaymakers turned aside 28 of 29 shots on the night.

StFX forward Adam Holwell (St. John’s, Nfld.) was named the third star of the night.

The Axemen return to play on Friday, Oct. 14 at home against the UNB Varsity Reds on the first of two Homecoming weekend games, while the X-Men host Dalhousie next Wednesday night.

Contributed by Joshua Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications

Peach scores 2 in Axemen victory

By Ryan Hyndman 

The Dalhousie Tigers men’s hockey team were defeated on Wednesday evening surrendering a 5-2 loss to the Acadia Axemen in their home opener at the Halifax Forum. 

The game began fast paced with both teams getting a few shots on net within the first few minutes of the game. As the first period progressed, the Axemen began putting on pressure, drawing the game’s first penalty six minutes in. Wasting no time, the Axemen generated a few good chances before Adam McMaster (Beamsville, Ont.) found the back of the net on the powerplay to make it 1-0. 

Not long after, the Tigers found themselves with a 5-on-3 powerplay for their first man advantage of the evening. Thanks to some quick puck movement, a perfectly placed pass saw Cameron Thompson (Victoria, B.C.) score his first of the season, tying the game at 1-1. The penalties continued as the game progressed, including a 10-minute misconduct and a game ejection given to Tigers Jackson van de Leest (Kelowna, B.C.) for checking from behind. On the ensuing 4-4 play in the offensive zone, the Axemen were able to capitalize for their second goal of the game from Bailey Peach (Falmouth, N.S.) to regain the lead at 2-1.  

Just 23 seconds later, Acadia added another goal off of a nifty play from Liam Kidney (Enfield, N.S.), making it 3-1 Axemen. As an eventful first period came to a close with yet another powerplay for the Axemen, Tigers goaltender Connor Hicks (Kanata, Ont.) stood tall stopping a flurry of scoring chances.  

The second period began with the Tigers pressuring in the offensive zone, trying to cut the lead to one, but Acadia goaltender Connor McCollum (Pickering, Ont.) was able to stop the attack, retaining the two-goal lead. With both teams settled into the game, the physicality subsided a bit, and time ran down to the midpoint of the period with both sides trading chances and the officials blowing very few whistles.  

With the period winding down, the Tigers were able to find some momentum as Brett Crossley (Dartmouth, N.S.) broke in alone and finished the play with a skilled backhand-shot in the back of the net to make it 3-2. However, just two minutes later Acadia responded with a goal of their own from Orlando Mainolfi (Richmond Hill, Ont.) to restore the two-goal lead at 4-2. The Tigers were able to gather some chances on a powerplay near the end of the period, but the Axemen penalty killers were able to keep it to a two-goal lead headed into the third period. 

The third period began with both teams playing a tight defensive game, and minimal chances at each side. The Axemen then started to control the possession battle, keeping the Tigers in their own zone for several minutes, but Dalhousie was able to stay within two with half a period left to play. The Tigers would generate a few more chances, but a costly penalty would send the Axemen back to the powerplay where Peach would score his second of the game, sealing the 5-2 win for Acadia. 

Bailey Peach took home the Subway Player of the Game award for the Axemen. 

The Axemen will look to build on a season-opening win when they face off against STFX at 7:00pm on Saturday. 

The Tigers next game comes at 7:00pm on Friday against St. Mary’s where they will try to get in the win column for the first time this season. 

Zazula scores in Acadia loss

WOLFVILLE, N.S. (U SPORTS) – Vincent Deslauirers and Jeremy Michel scored during the Moncton Aigles Bleus tight 2-1 victory over the Acadia Axemen in the pre-season home opener for the Axemen.

Acadia attempted to tie the game late in the third by pulling their goalie, but they were unable to solve the Moncton goalie.

Moncton’s goals were scored in the 9^th and 31^st minute by Vincent Deslauirers and Jeremy Michel respectively, while Luke Zazula replied in a losing cause for Acadia in the 49^th minute.

Despite coming up short on the scoreboard, Acadia outshot the Aigles Bleus 29-24 on the night.

Acadia failed to capitalize on their many power-plays, going 1-for-6 on the night, while also giving up a shorthanded goal to start the game.

The Axemen split their exhibition season with a 3-1 win over Saint Mary’s this past Thursday evening and tonight’s loss to Moncton.

Subway Stars of the Game

First Star: Vincent Lanoue

Second Star: Liam Kidney

Third Star: Yann-Felix Lapointe

Corneil nets 3 goals and adds assist in Acadia win

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – It was a cold Saturday night in Wolfville, but the Acadia Axemen (7-13-1) were hot, coming off a close 3-2 overtime shootout loss to the No. 1 ranked UNB last night, as they beat the Moncton Aigles Bleus (5-15-2) by a score of 6-3.

Subway First Star of the Game Johnny Corneil accounted for half of the Axemen’s goals on the night, as he potted a natural hat trick in the second period.

“It was a full team effort tonight. We have been preparing for this weekend and a tough loss last night against UNB, but we were so ready to come in tonight and we didn’t let up. We wanted to win,” said Corneil after the game.

When asked whether he has ever scored a natural hat trick, Corneil replied “I don’t think I have. I think I have only had one hat trick since junior started.”

Nick Deakin-Poot grabbed two assists and third star of the night honours for the Axemen.

It was an even-handed first period, with both teams firing 12 shots on net.

Moncton put up the first goal of the game when the second star of the night Denis Toner threw a shot on net from the face-off circle that fooled the Axemen goaltender Max Paddock.

Acadia came back with a pair of goals in the first from Keegan Stevenson and Merrick Rippon.

Stevenson took a pass from Jack Flaman, deked to his backhand, and slid the puck into the open net.

Rippon gave his team the lead with 6:03 remaining in the frame, jamming the puck in on a mad scramble in front of the Moncton net.

The second period saw an offensive onslaught from the Axemen, as they peppered 16 shots on net with 3 goals to show for their work.

Johnny Corneil netted a natural hat trick for Acadia in the frame with one coming on a backhand in tight, the second coming on a wrist shot in front from a feed by Nick Deakin-Poot who was working behind the Moncton net, and the final coming on a slapshot from the point.

Corneil’s were the only three goals of the period.

Moncton mounted an unsuccessful comeback in the third, scoring two from Olivier-Luc Hache and Vincent Deslauriers.

Hache scored on a soft wrist shot in front, while Deslauriers ripped a wrister into the top right corner of the net before getting dropped by an Axemen defender that led to a minor fight.

Stevenson iced the game for Acadia – his second of the night – after coming in on the left side of the offensive zone before wiring a shot into the top left corner to make it 6-3.

Paddock stopped 32 of 35 shots on the night, while his Aigles Bleus counterpart Etienne Montpetit turned aside 30 of 36 shots.

Acadia returns to play Wednesday, Mar. 2 at Saint Mary’s before coming home to wrap up their regular season against UPEI next Saturday. Moncton will host Dalhousie and StFX next Friday and Saturday night, respectively. Puck drop for both all games at 7 pm.

Provided by Josh Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications

Paddock with 38 saves in OT Shootout Loss

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – It was a David versus Goliath match-up in Wolfville on Friday night, as the sixth-placed Acadia Axemen (6-14-1) fell 3-2 in a shootout loss to the U SPORTS No. 1 ranked UNB Reds (19-2-0) who hold the best win percentage in the country in U SPORTS men’s hockey team.

The Axemen held their own with a 2-0 lead to start the game. However, the Reds mounted a comeback that was capped off by a shootout winner from former Axemen defenceman Ross MacDougall, who netted a nifty backhander to get the win.

Acadia goalie, and second star of the night, Max Paddock put on a clinic as he turned aside 40 of 42 shots on the night, including an incredible sprawling desperation save in his crease in OT that saved a sure goal.

“Everybody came to play again, just like last weekend. We’ve shown the top two teams we can play with them. It’s great to see a group of guys come back the second semester to really gel the team and be able to compete with the best of them,” noted Paddock after the game.

Despite trailing 12-6 in shots, the Axemen held a 2-0 lead by the end of the first period.

Rookie forward Keegan Stevenson opened the scoring thanks to Nick Deakin-Poot’s work in the offensive zone.

Stevenson scored on his own rebound – off a pass from Deakin-Poot – while falling on his stomach.

Peyton Hoyt doubled up the score for Acadia on a broken play that led to a 2-on-1. Hoyt took a pass from Jordy Stallard and slid a wrist shot in for a 2-0 lead.

UNB continued their offensive barrage in the second period with a whopping 21 shots on net.

Jason Willms slid the puck across the ice past Paddock on a scramble play to make it 2-1.

UNB forward and Subway First Star of the Night Mark Rassell nabbed a one-timer on the power-play from the edge of the crease to tie the game at 2-2, which is where things stood going into the third period.

Neither team was able to capitalize in the final frame of the game, despite a number of odd-man rushes for both teams.

UNB dominated the overtime period, holding possession of the puck for the first 1:30 of the extra frame. While both teams had numerous chances, they required a shootout to find a winner.

UNB goalie Rylan Parenteau stopped 15 of 17 shots on the night, while Acadia’s Paddock was stellar in the other end.

Acadia takes to the ice again at home Saturday, Feb. 26 to take on the Moncton Aigles Bleus, while the Reds travel to Saint Mary’s to take on the 8-11 Huskies.

Provided by Josh Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications

Corneil and Stevenson with the Acadia tallies

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – AUS hockey was back in Wolfville for the first time since November 26, 2021, and in front of fans no less, on Saturday night. Sadly, the Axemen were unable to capitalize on their early lead in the game and ended up falling 3-2 to the StFX X-Men.

It was a strong night for the goalies, as Max Paddock stopped 25 of 28 shots for Acadia while his StFX counterpart and Subway Third Star of the Game Joseph Raaymakers turned aside 27 of 29 shots.

Despite chances from both sides – including a strong power-play from the Axemen and a partial breakaway from X-Men forward Matthew Phillip – the game remained scoreless heading into the second frame with Acadia holding a 14-8 lead in shots.

It was another strong showing for the goaltenders in the second period, as they turned aside a number of chances. However, both teams managed to get one on the board before the end of the period.

Acadia broke onto the scoreboard first with a marker from the Subway Second Star of the Game Johnny Corneil with 6:46 left in the frame.

Corneil stepped into the slot, took a pass from Keegan Stevenson, and wired a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net to make it 1-0.

“It was a battle for the whole 60 minutes and both teams had about two and a half months to get ready for this game. Lots of time off and both teams were itching to get back on the ice in a game atmosphere,” noted Corneil after the game.

“We’ve been talking a lot about detail and structure for the last two weeks, and attention to detail was a big part of it but also work ethic,” said Corneil. “That was my main focus and kinda relaying that to some of the younger guys as well.”

StFX responded late in the second with a deflection goal in front of the net from William Bower.

Bower notched his goal by nabbing a rebound off the Axemen goalie and then tapping the puck out of the air to tie the game at 1-1.

At the end of the second, Acadia held a 22-17 shot lead.

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Acadia’s McCollum with 1st AUS win

The Acadia Axemen (6-11) squeeked out a 4-3 victory over the Moncton Aigles Bleus (5-10-1) on Saturday night in Moncton. Conor McCollum, the Axemen third string goaltender, got the call for the Axemen with Max Paddock sidelined due to injury, and Logan Flodell having played last night against UNB. McCollum responded with a standout performance for his first AUS win, making a number of stellar saves and turning aside 21 of 24 shots he faced.

The Axemen took a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period on a goal from Jack Flaman. Eric Henderson had the lone assist on the goal. Acadia took that lead to the dressing room after one period.

Early in the second period, just 1:32 in, Mason McCarty made it 2-0 on a beautiful solo effort as he broke in on a breakaway and made no mistake.

Moncton got on the board 2:24 later, as Remy Anglehart scored on the powerplay to cut the lead in half. But before the period ended, Acadia responded with a powerplay goal of their own as Jack Flaman notched his second of the night, at 19:36. Eric Henderson & Mason McCarty both picked up their 2nd points of the night on the goal. That gave the Axemen a 3-1 lead heading into the third period.

Vincent Deslauriers brought his team within one at 3:28, but Eric Henderson responded for the Axemen to restore the two goal lead for Acadia at 10:25 of the third period. His 3rd point of the night, with the assists on the goal going to Garrett McFadden and Peyton Hoyt.

It looked like that may put the Axemen in the driver’s seat, however Deslauriers had other ideas as he scored his second of the night to once again make it a one goal game at 13:57.

The final minutes were tense as Acadia had to kill off two penalties in the last 5 minutes including while Moncton pulled their goalie to give them a 6 on 4 advantage, but McCollum was up to the challenge turning the Aigles Bleus away. Final shots on goal were 34 for Acadia and 24 for Moncton.

With the win, Acadia moves ahead of Moncton in the AUS standings, and moves within 3 points of a three-way log jam for third place in the conference. The Axemen finish up their 1st half of play on Wednesday night as they travel to Halifax to face the Dalhousie Tigers.