DiGiacinto ties the game late, & scores OT winner

Wolfville, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen extended their season with a 3-2 overtime win over the StFX X-Men on Friday night in Wolfville in game two of the best of three quarterfinal series against StFX. The series is tied at one.

The overtime winning goal came from Subway First Star of the Game Cristiano Digiacinto, who stepped in over the blue-line and ripped a shot into the top right corner of the net for the game-winner.

The Axemen spent most of the first half of the opening period killing off three consecutive penalties.

Despite, their early penalty troubles, Acadia got on the scoreboard first, thanks to a power-play marker from forward Kyle Farrell.

Farrell redirected a wrist shot from the blue-line by forward Stephen Harper, to make it 1-0.

Acadia out-shot the X-Men 19-4 in the first period and had several opportunities add to their lead – including two shots off the post from Farrell – but the score remained 1-0 heading into the second.

StFX was the only team to score in the second frame.

The Axemen continued to kill off several more penalties and were 7-for-7 on the night up to the point of 14.1 seconds remaining in the second period when a shot from the point by defenceman William Thompson was redirected off the body of an Acadia player and into the Axemen net to tie the game at one after two periods.

StFX came out a much different team in the third period, playing their best hockey of the game despite 31-16 shots on goal advantage for the Axemen following two periods of play. Read more ›

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Harper scores 14th goal of the season for Acadia

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The short-staffed Acadia Axemen (10-17-3) had their three-game winning streak snapped on Friday night in Wolfville in a 2-1 loss to the Moncton Aigles Bleus (14-11-4). While Acadia led the game in shots, the Aigles Bleus found the back of the net with 1:44 remaining in the third period, on a goal from the third star of the night, Vincent Lanoue.

It was a goaltender’s game, as Moncton’s goalie Etienne Montpetit was named Subway First Star of the Night, while Acadia goalie Logan Flodell was named the second star.

While play was even between the two teams for most of the first period, the Aigles Bleus were the only team to score in the opening frame.

Moncton scored with exactly 1:00 left in the opening period, on a goal from forward Thierry Comtois.

Comtois took a drop-pass in front of the net and wired a wrist shot into the bottom right corner of the net to make it 1-0. Read more ›

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Stallard with a 4 point night in win

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen (9-16-3) won a crowd-pleasing 6-3 game against the StFX X-Men (15-10-3) in what could be a first-round match-up in the AUS playoffs.

A major brawl broke out between the two teams with 10:55 left in the third, which led to a nearly 20-minute delay, and led to the ejection of both head coaches, eight X-Men, five Acadia players and 310 minutes in total penalties assessed.

While the play was fairly even between the two teams, Acadia struck first, with a goal late in the opening frame.

Axemen defenceman Tate Olson scored the first goal of his U SPORTS career in the final seconds of an Acadia power-play.

By the end of the first period, the shots were tied 12-12 for the two teams.

The X-Men tied the game up before the midway point of the second period on a goal from defenceman Cole MacDonald.

StFX then took their only lead of the game over a minute later, on a power-play goal from forward and second star of the night, Holden Cook.

Cook, who was positioned in the middle of the left face-off circle, ripped the puck into the bottom left corner of the net to make it 2-1.

Rookie forward and Subway First Star of the Night, Jordy Stallard tied the game for Acadia with 8:58 left in the frame, on an easy tip-in in front of the net. Read more ›

Harper & Farrell with 3 points each

Wolfville, N.S. – For the fifteenth consecutive year, the Acadia Axemen (8-16-3) have secured a playoff spot, following a 5-2 win over the Dalhousie Tigers (6-20-1) on Wednesday night. The game-winning goal came from forward, and Subway First Star of the Night, Stephen Harper, who potted a power-play marker with 2:49 left in the second period.

Acadia opened the scoring 1:05 into the first, when forward, and third star of the night, Kyle Farrell was sprung on a partial breakaway.

Farrell skated in and feathered a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net to make it 1-0.

Dalhousie responded before the midway point of the period on a goal from forward, and second star of the night, Campbell Pickard.

Pickard, stationed in front of the net, redirected a low point shot over the glove of the Acadia goalie to make it 1-1.

The Axemen took back their lead with 5:26 left in the first on a goal from defenceman Ross MacDougall.

MacDougall came in from the blue-line, stopping at the top of the right face-off circle, where he ripped a shot under the crossbar to make it 2-1. Read more ›

Flodell makes 39 saves in loss

WOLFVILLE, N.S – The Acadia Axemen (7-15-3) had their two-game winning streak snapped by the U SPORTS No. 5 ranked Saint Mary’s Huskies (18-7-1) in a nail-biting 2-1 OT loss.

Huskies forward and Subway First Star of the Night, Calder Brooks, scored the game-winner with 1.3 seconds left in the OT frame. Acadia failed to capitalize on their power-play, going 0-for-7 on the night.

The win is the Huskies’ eighth of the nine overtime games played this season.

Acadia opened the scoring with 11:02 left in the first on a goal from forward Ryan Foss.

Foss redirected a pass in front of the net from forward Jackson Houck to make it 1-0.

Saint Mary’s responded over a minute later, on a goal from Aaron Berisha

Like Foss, Berisha redirected a pass in front of the net to score. Berisha lifted the puck under the crossbar on his tip to tie the game at 1-1.

By the end of the first period, the shots were 14-8 for the Axemen. Read more ›

Harper leads the way with 4 point night

Halifax, NS – In an important game for AUS standings, the Dalhousie Tigers hosted the Acadia
Axemen at the Halifax Forum on Saturday night. In a back and forth, high scoring affair, the
Axemen were able to come away with the 6-4 victory.

The Axemen were quick to find the opening goal in this one on a great breakout play from their
own end. At his own blue-line, Stephen Harper (Burlington, ON) flipped a pass high in the air
through the neutral zone to spring Owen MacDonald (Elora, ON) on a partial break, and
MacDonald hit Cristiano Digiacinto (Hamilton, ON) across the slot with a hard pass and
Digiancinto redirected it over the shoulder of Reilly Pickard (Halifax, NS).

Following that play just a few minutes later, the Axemen worked the puck around the Tigers
zone while on the man-advantage. Marc McNulty (Medicine Hat, AB) was able to take a step off
the half-board with space, and fired a high shot over the glove of Pickard as the Axemen took a
commanding 2-0 lead early. Read more ›

DiGiacinto scores a pair for Acadia

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen snap a five-game losing streak with a 5-0 win over the StFX X-Men on Friday night. Acadia was offensively dominant throughout the game, getting nearly three times more shots on net than the X-Men.

Axemen goaltender Logan Flodell recorded a shutout on the night, turning aside all 21 shots he faced.

Acadia dominated play in the first period and they were rewarded for their effort just after the halfway point of the opening frame.

Axemen forward Maurizio Colella, who corralled the puck on a pass from Owen MacDonald, took a step back and fired a slap shot past the X-Men goalie Chase Marchand, to make it 1-0.

The Axemen doubled up their lead after rookie forward Jordy Stallard who was named the third star of the night, scored the first goal of his USPORTS career after being sprung on a breakaway to make it 2-0.

By the end of the first period, the shots were 20-5 for the Axemen.

The Axemen added to their lead in the second, as forward and Subway First Star of the Night Cristiano DiGiacinto added a pair to make it 4-0. Read more ›