McCollum with 28 saves for the win

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Look out AUS semi-finals, here come the Acadia Axemen. The Axemen swept STFX in the best-of-three quarter-finals on Friday night with a 4-1 win. 

It was an upset victory, as Acadia finished beneath STFX in the regular season standings.  

Subway First Star of the Night Conor McCollum (Pickering, Ont.) put in an outstanding effort for Acadia, turning aside 28 of 29 shots on the night.  

Penalty-killing was huge for Acadia, as STFX went 1-for-8 on the man advantage for the night.  

Acadia got off to a strong start in the opening frame with a pair of goals.  

Corson Hopwo (Duncan, B.C.) struck first for Acadia with a beautiful solo effort at the 6:19 mark of the period. He took the puck from Liam Kidney (Enfield, N.S.) after he broke into the offensive zone.  

After taking the puck from Kidney, Hopwo curled at the top of the right face-off circle and made a line for the net. 

Hopwo cut in for the STFX net and slid a backhand past the goalie to make it 1-0.  

Keegan Stevenson (Aweres Township, Ont.) doubled the lead for Acadia at the 11:21 mark of the first on a play similar to Hopwo.  

Stevenson took the puck from Cole Nagy (Saskatoon, Sask.) and drove the net before faking a shot on the backhand and turning his stick over to lift a shot on his forehand past the sliding goalie.  

STFX had two power-play opportunities in the first after going down 2-0, but failed to capitalize on either of them.  

At the end of the period, the shots were 10-7 for Acadia.  

The teams traded goals in a chippy second period.  

STFX used another power-play opportunity to make it 2-1 late in the second period.  

The second star of the night Adam Holwell (St. John’s, Nfld.) scored his power-play marker with 5:17 left to play in the frame and it looked like the spark needed to get STFX back in the game.  

However, captain Jack Flaman (Vibank, Sask.) stepped up for Acadia and responded with a goal shortly after taking the penalty that granted STFX the power play that got them on the scoreboard.  

Flaman scored on a tight wraparound goal with 3:43 left in the period to make it 3-1.  

A large scrum broke out at the end of the second, as STFX players tried to dig the puck out from under an injured Peyton Hoy t(Fredericton, N.B.) in the dying seconds of the period.  

Heading into the final frame, Acadia held a 21-16 lead in shots.  

STFX had multiple 5-on-3 power-plays in the first half of the final frame, but they were unable to capitalize on these opportunities.  

They threw everything they had at Acadia’s Conor McCollum, but STFX could not score in the third.  

The third star of the night Liam Kidney added an empty-net goal with 24 seconds left in the game to seal the victory for Acadia and send his team to the semi-finals.  

STFX goalie Joseph Raaymakers (Chatham, Ont.) turned aside 30 of 33 shots on the night.  

Acadia will return to play in the AUS semi-finals once the outcome of the second quarterfinal series between Moncton and UPEI is determined. Game two of that series was postponed tonight due to inclement weather. Moncton leads the series 1-0. If Moncton wins their QF series, Moncton will take on UNB and Acadia will play against Saint Mary’s. If Moncton loses the series, the Axemen will play UNB in a best-of-five semifinal series.  

Acadia with goals from 5 different players in win

Antigonish, NS – The Acadia Axemen are in the driver’s seat after a come from behind win over the STFX X-Men on Wednesday night at the Charles V Keating Centre. The win gives the Axemen a 1-0 lead in their best of three AUS quarterfinal series.  

  

Acadia’s Subway player of the game was Liam Kidney (Enfield, NS) who scored the game winner and added an assist, while STFX’s Subway player of the game was Matthew Phillip (Ilderton, ON) who played a strong game and added a goal.  

  

It was a tight game early on, and a pair of minor penalties in the first five minutes had the X-Men shorthanded but Acadia wasn’t able to make them pay. STFX came close to opening the scoring while on the penalty kill but Axemen netminder Connor McCollum (Pickering, ON) kept the door shut.  

  

STFX did break the deadlock at 8:50, with Logan Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) firing home a backhand off a pass from Declan Smith (Antigonish, NS). 

  

As anticipated, there was some rough stuff shortly after the goal, with neither of the heated rivals looking to give an inch and perhaps remembering the previous game between them last weekend, which saw 104 penalty minutes dished out on 22 penalties.  

 

The Axemen later had some penalty killing to do of their own, but Chisholm’s goal remained the only one of the period. Shots at the end of the first 20 minutes were seven apiece.  

  

STFX came out fast in the second period, and the blue and white had the lion’s share of possession and scoring chances early on but it was Acadia who tied the game. Axemen captain Jack Flaman (Vibank, SK) found the back of the net off an odd-man rush, with Kidney and Luke Zazula (Langley, BC) getting the helpers.  

  

Phillip put his team up at 11:01 with a second chance goal, with assists going to Liam Hawel (Arnprior, ON) and Matthew Struthers (Milton, ON), but a 3-on-1 just over 30 seconds later saw Acadia’s Brendan Sellan (Hanover, ON) knot the game at 2-2. 

  

X-Men forward Zack Trott (Mulmur, ON) gave the home team the lead again, going five-hole with just under four minutes remaining the period. 

 

Shots at the end of the second were 18-12 in favour of STFX as the home took a 3-2 lead into the dressing room second intermission. 

 

Acadia drew even with just over four minutes gone in the third period, with Cole Nagy (Saskatoon, SK) burying one after finding himself open in front of the STFX net off a pass from Peyton Hoyt (Lincoln, NB). The visitors then claimed the lead 40 seconds later, with Kidney notching his first goal of the playoffs. 

  

STFX pushed hard to tie the game and went on the powerplay with about five minutes left to play but weren’t able to close the gap. The X-Men pulled their goalie late but it was Acadia’s Hoyt closing out the scoring with an empty netter with 29 seconds left on the clock. 

  

McCollum had 23 saves in the win for Acadia, while STFX’s Joseph Raaymakers (Chatham, ON) made 13 stops in the losing effort.  

  

Game two of the series now shifts to Wolfville, NS on Friday night, Feb 17th. An Acadia victory will send them into the AUS semifinal round, while a STFX win will force a deciding Game three, back at the Charles V Keating Centre, on Sunday evening.  

 

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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics   

 

Peyton Hoyt scores two goals in the Axemen loss

Antigonish, NS – A three-goal spree in the opening five minutes of the third period helped the STFX X-Men defeat the Acadia Axemen 4-2 on Saturday night at the Charles V Keating Centre. The match was a warm-up of sorts for the two teams, who will face each other in the AUS playoffs starting on Wednesday.  

STFX forward and Subway Player of the game Matthew Struthers (Milton, ON) had two goals and an assist on the night, while second star was X-Men defender Patrick Kyte (Pembroke, ON), with a goal and two assists. Third star was STFX forward Matthew Philip (Ilderton, ON), who put in quality minutes for the home team.  

The X-Men carried much of the early play, gaining the offensive zone effectively, and barring any Acadia shots for the first eight minutes. Acadia picked up the pace midway through the period and STFX goalie Joseph Raaymakers (Chatham, ON) had to make a couple of strong saves while on the penalty kill.  

The teams exchanged some big hits throughout the period and a scum with around six minutes left to play led to a few roughing penalties and a STFX powerplay, but the home team wasn’t able to capitalize. 

Acadia opened the scoring at the 2:50 mark, with Peyton Hoyt (Lincoln, NB) poking one home off a pass from Brendan Sellan (Hanover, ON). The period ended with Acadia leading in shots 9-8.  

An Acadia penalty three seconds into the second period made it a four-on-four situation that turned into a STFX powerplay that lead to a couple of close chances but Acadia goaltender Zachary Paputsakis (Rockland, ON) stood his ground.  

Acadia found themselves with a 5-on-3 advantage about midway through the period, but it was Kyte who found the back of the net, finishing off a shorthanded play from Jacob Hudson (Antigonish, NS) and Struthers.  

Shots at the end of the second period were 19-17 in favour of Acadia as the game was knotted 1-1. 

The beak to beak action continued in the third, and Struthers opened the scoring just over a minute in on the powerplay, with Brendan Clavelle (Kapuskasing, ON) and Liam Hawel (Arnprior, ON) assisting. STFX went on the powerplay again a minute later, and Struthers wired home a one-timer, from Hawel and Kyte.  

X-Men forward Zack Trott (Mulmur, ON) made it 4-1 with around five minutes gone, tucking home a nifty backhand, with Kyte assisting.  

Hoyt got one back for the Axemen late in the period, his 2nd of the game, with Morgan Nauss (Hammonds Plains, NS) and Zack Jones (North Falmouth, MA) assisting, and the teams continued to exchange less-than-pleasantries for the rest period.  

Shots at the end of the game were 33-26 in favour of STFX and the teams posted 104 penalty minutes on 22 infractions. 

The X-Men have home ice advantage in the AUS quarterfinal round after finishing in fourth place in the AUS standings with a record of 16-13-1. The quarter-final playoff series (best 2-of-3) will start Wednesday, Feb. 15th at STFX as the same two teams will be back on the ice at the STFX Keating Centre. 

Acadia wrapped up regular season play with 11-16-3 record in fifth place. The AUS will announce the complete quarter-final playoff schedule on Sunday. Game 2 will be on the road at Acadia, and Game 3 (if necessary) back in Antigonish. 

UPEI and Moncton will meet in the other AUS quarter-final series with first place UNB and second place Saint Mary’s awaiting the quarter-final winners for the best 3-of-5 semifinal playoff rounds. 

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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics 

Nagy with 3 points in Acadia win

Wolfville, N.S. – It was a big win on Friday’s Seniors Night for the Acadia Axemen, as they defeated the Dalhousie Tigers 4-3. Acadia came out on top despite giving up three power-play goals. 

 

Subway First Star of the Night Cole Nagy (Saskatoon, Sask.) potted a pair of goals for Acadia in the opening period. Those two goals ended up being the difference maker in the game.  

 

Nagy opened the scoring for Acadia early in the first when he grabbed a rebound in front of the net at 4:37 of the first period and put it away to make it 1-0.  

 

Doubling up, Nagy added his second marker of the night at 8:03 of the first period.  

 

Nagy was parked in front of the net, where he took a pass from Keegan Stevenson (Aweres Township, Ont.), who was working behind the net to free the puck. Nagy fired a quick snapshot past the Tigers goalie to make it 2-0.  

 

However, Dalhousie answered with a goal of their own on the power-play late in the opening period. 

 

Campbell Pickard (Halifax, N.S.) had an easy tap in after Cameron Thompson (Victoria, B.C.) broke in from the neutral zone to set up the power play and pulled the Acadia’s goalie Conor McCollum to one side of the net. 

 

At the end of the first period, the shots were 11-5 for Acadia.  

 

While there were chances on both sides through the period, it was late in the second before things got interesting.  

 

Acadia added to their lead late in the second period thanks to Matt McKim (St. John’s, Nfld.).  

 

Nagy came out from behind the net and set up McKim for his first goal as an Acadia Axemen.  

 

Dalhousie had a response shortly after thanks to another power-play marker.  

 

Jarrett Baker (Black Rock, N.S.) wired a wrist shot high blocker side to pull within one goal of tying, making it 3-2.  

 

That is where the score stood heading into the third.  

 

By the end of the second period, the shots were 23-12 for Acadia.  

 

Third star Brendan Sellan (Hanover, Ont.) was the difference maker for Acadia. His power-play goal 8:08 into the third period ended up being the eventual game-winner for Acadia. 

 

Sellan took a feed from Nick Deakin-Poot (Georgetown, Ont.) while parked near the left side of the crease. He chipped the puck over the goalie’s left pad to make it 4-2.  

 

Dalhousie made one final stab at a comeback with Evan MacKinnon (Dartmouth, N.S.) adding another power-play marker for the Tigers.  

 

MacKinnon snuck a shot past McCollum, narrowly beating him high right side.  

 

That was as close as the Tigers would get, despite a pulled goalie at the end of the game.  

 

Acadia’s Conor McCollum turned aside 15 of 18 shots on the night, while his Dalhousie counterpart Alexander MacDonald stopped 26 of 30 shots.  

 

The Axemen improve to 11-15-2-1 and slip into fifth place, while the Tigers drop to 6-21-1-1 and will make post season play. 

 

Acadia closes out their regular season tomorrow night against STFX, while the Tigers host Saint Mary’s for their last game of the season. The puck drops for both games at 7 pm. 

 

Provided by Joshua Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications Office 

Friday, February 10th @ 7pm