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Axemen dress 16 skaters due to injuries & suspensions

(FREDERICTON, NB) Cam Brace(Etobicoke, ON) and Chris Clapperton(Cap d’Espoir, QC) each scored twice to lead the UNB Varsity Reds to a 6-0 victory over the visiting Acadia Axemen on Saturday.

Clapperton opened the scoring, just 1:22 in.

The teams then settled into a relatively even first period.

“That was our plan, to come out right away and get that first goal, so that worked,” said Varsity Reds defenceman Tristan Pomerleau(Riviere du Loup, QC).

Clapperton struck again late in the second, and Mark Simpson(Rothesay, NB) made it 3-0 just 46 seconds later.

Brace scored both his goals in the third.

“They were a little short on their side. We just stuck to the game plan,” said Brace, who noted the Varsity Reds got offence from every line. “When all lines are going, all lines are working, I think that’s the most dangerous thing about our team.”
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Harper with a goal in the 5-1 loss

By Thomas Becker of UPEI

There was a power surge at MacLauchlan Arena Friday night, as the Panthers put up five goals in the second period to overpower the Acadia Axemen 5-1.

Marcus Power was in the forefront of all the action, posting a hat trick in the decisive frame. Riley Whittingham and Cody Payne were the other two skaters to hit the back of the net, while Ryan MacKinnon and Darcy Ashley recorded two assists each.

“It’s great seeing all the hard work we put in this week paying off like that,” said Power, who was named Subway Player of the Game.

With only their second win in their last 10 games, Panthers head coach Forbes MacPherson was pleased with the way his team fought against a tough Acadia (15-6-2) squad. And with only a handful of weeks remaining in the season and a pair of teams chasing them for the final two playoff spots, he’s anxious to see how they’ll respond when they hit the ice again on Saturday and beyond.

“We have to find some consistency,” he said. “Some guys played some of their best hockey in awhile tonight, so that tells me two things โ€“ how well they can play, but how inconsistent they’ve been.”ย Read more »

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Axemen score 5 powerplay goals in victory

WOLFVILLE, N.S. โ€“ The U SPORTS No. 6 ranked Acadia Axemen (14-5-2) were on fire downed the visiting No. 7 Saint Mary’s Huskies (15-6-1) by a score of 6-2 in front of a near capacity crowd of 2060.

Of the eight goals scored on the night, six came on the power-play, with the Axemen going 5-for-7 on the man-advantage for the night.

The Axemen jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, despite fairly even play between the two teams for the majority of the period.

Acadia broke the scoreless tie with 6:16 remaining in the first frame, when forward Boston Leier redirected the point shot by Subway First Star of the Game, Matthew Pufahl into the top left corner of the net to make it 1-0.

The Axemen followed the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, scoring on a nearly identical play, this time forward Sam Fioretti tipped the puck under the legs of the Huskie goaltender Cole Cheveldave to make it 2-0.Read more »

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Steeves stars with 36 saves in victory

(Halifax, NS)ย The Acadiaย Axemenย added an empty-net goalย to beat the Saint Mary’s Huskies 4-2 on Saturday night at the Halifax Forum.ย  It was a back and forth game, with the Huskies coming back to tie it up twice. The thirdย Axemenย lead of the night proved to be too big a hill to climb.ย 

Axemenย tender Robert Steeves (Moncton, N.B.) was the player of the gameย โ€“ making 36ย saves on the night.ย  Mathewย Pufahlย (Saskatoon, Sask.), Remyย Giftopolousย (Ancaster, Ont.), Sam Fioretti (Calgary, Alta.) and Taylor Makin (Blairmore, Alta.) scored for Acadia.ย 

Jakeย Coughlerย (St.ย Catharines, Ont.) and Calder Brooks (Emerald Park, Sask.) responded with goals for SMU.ย Bronson Beaton (Springhill, N.S.) picked up two assists. Eric Brassard (St. Hubert, Que.)ย got the startย for the Huskiesย making 15ย savesย in the losing cause.ย ย 

Pufahlย put theย Axemenย on the board just 23 seconds into the game.ย Cristiano Digiacintoย (Hamilton, Ont.) andย Rodney Southamย picked up helpers on the play.ย  Coughlerย tied things up at 1-1 with just over 3-minutes left in the first.ย Beatonย and Dylan Diperna (Nobleton, Ont.) had the assists.ย 

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Harper with 4 assists in Axemen win

Wolfville, N.S โ€“ Neither the icy aftermath of a winter storm or the prospect of seeing the entirety of Canada versus Sweden game stopped the Axemen faithful from coming to Wolfville on Friday night. Those who came for the game were not disappointed as the Acadia Axemen (12-5-2) won a back-and-forth game, 7-4 against the Moncton Aigles Bleu (3-15-2).

The Axemen dominated play for most of the opening period, leading 17-6 in shots and taking a 2-1 lead into the second.

Axemen forward Owen MacDonald fed a tight saucer pass across the ice to the third star of the night, Remy Giftopoulos who lifted the puck into the top right corner of the net to make it 1-0.

Exactly 41 seconds later, the Axemen doubled their lead when Subway First Star of the Game, Kyle Farrell took a lead pass from Giftopoulos and ripped a slap shot between the legs of the Moncton goalie to make it 2-0.

The Axemen ran into penalty trouble late in the period, as Aigles Bleu defenseman Jean-Francois Plante scored on a wrist shot in front of the Axemen net to cut the Acadia lead to 2-1.

Moncton and Acadia trading goals in the second period, with the Axemen holding a 5-4 lead heading into the final frame.

Moncton scored two more goals on the man-advantage in the second, with one coming from Joey Richard in tight and the other coming off a point shot from Plante for his second of the game.Read more »

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Axemen pair to face World Jr hopefuls

TORONTO (U SPORTS) โ€“ U SPORTS announced Monday the roster of the 2017 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey All-Star Team for the upcoming two-game series against Canada’s National Junior Team prospects.

The games are set for Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and Thursday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont., home of the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs. ย The games will mark the culmination of a four-day camp for the U SPORTS Men’s Hockey All-Stars beginning Dec. 11, while also serving as part of Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp for the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship slated for Dec. 26 -Jan. 5 in Buffalo, N.Y.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Hockey Canada for what should be two very entertaining hockey games, and a continued partnership between our organizations,” said Graham Brown, President and CEO of U SPORTS. “We all know how excited Canadians get every December about Canada’s National Junior Team. These games will provide great exposure for U SPORTS men’s hockey, and I know our players and coaches are looking forward to shining on a national stage.”

It will mark the third straight year Canada’s National Junior Team Prospects have faced off against the U SPORTS Men’s Hockey All-Stars, all but one of whom have CHL major junior experience, including six returning players from last year’s squad.

Acadia Axemen forward Boston Leier and Stephen Harper are included on the All-Star team roster.Read more »

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Leier & Farrell tally for Axemen in loss

WOLFVILLE, N.S. โ€“ The U SPORTS No. 7 ranked Acadia Axemen (11-5-2) ended the first half of their season on a sour note, losing 3-2 in OT to the No. 2 UNB Varsity Reds (15-0-3).

Acadia held the lead twice in the game, but the league’s best V-Reds answered back each time.

The Axemen head into the holiday break with fourth place in the AUS standings.

The first period was dominated by the Axemen, as they outshot UNB 12-7 and took a 1-0 lead into the second frame.

Axemen forward Boston Leier scored at 6:07 in the opening period when he picked up the puck off the back boards and fired it past UNB’s goalie Alex Dubeau to ignite the home crowd.

Near the end of the first, a fight broke out in front of the UNB net and saw Dubeau receive a rare roughing penalty.

UNB responded with a strong second period, where they dominated most of the play and outscored the Axemen 2-1 in the period to tie the game 2-2 heading into the final frame.

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Three first period goals power Acadia to victory

WOLFVILLE, N.S โ€“ Following two weeks on the road that saw Acadia go 2-2, the U SPORTS No. 7 ranked Axemen (11-5-1) defeated the UPEI Panthers (4-12-1) 6-3 in the first of two home games this weekend before the Christmas break. Axemen forward and Subway First Star of the Game Boston Leier scored two goals on the night to help the Axemen secure the win.

Acadia was strong offensively in the first and held a 3-0 lead heading into the second period.

Axemen forward and Third Star of the Game, Chance Braid, opened the scoring, lifting the puck past the left shoulder of the Panthers’ goalie Matt Mahalak, knocking the water bottle off the top of the net in the process.

Adding to their lead, Axemen forward Boston Leier scored a power-play marker late in the period.

Leier took a pass from Stephen Harper while coming over the blue-line and ripped a wrist shot over the glove of the Mahalak to make it 2-0.

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McNulty with a goal & an assist in win

HALIFAX, N.S. – In AUS men’s hockey action at the Halifax Forum, the Acadiaย Axemenย defeated the Dalhousie Tigers 3-1 in a game where quality chances were hard to come back.ย 

The first period saw a high pace of play that would persist throughout the game, but good chances were not as easy to attain. Dalhousie got on the board first when Mike Evelyn (Ottawa, ON) put a great wrist shot from the high slot into the net at 15:11 to make it 1-0. The speed was still there, but no goals came of it as the first period ended with a 1-0 Tigers lead.ย 

In the second period, Acadia struck back when Sam Fiorettiย (Calgary, AB) knocked it in off a slight scramble in front of the Dalhousie net at 2:58 on the powerplay to tie it up at 1-1. Theย Axemenย took the lead when Kyle Farrell (Howie Corner, NS) shot it in from right in close at 9:08 to make the score 2-1. It looked like Acadia would get another one, but Dalhousie put together a fantastic kill of a two minute 5 on 3, which even included a Tigers breakaway, to keep it to within one. That wouldn’t last long as Subway Player of the Game Marc McNulty (Medicine Hat, AB) scored off a shorthanded 2 on 1 at 17:08 to give theย Axemenย a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.ย ย ย 

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Braid tallies for Axemen in loss

Antigonish, NS –ย Theย U SPORTSย No, 4ย rankedย StFX X-Men toppedย the No. 7 rankedย visitingย Acadia Axemen 2-1 inย theirย last home game of the fall term.ย The victory marked the fifth consecutive win for the X-Men in a rough-and-tumble gameย Friday evening at the Charles V. Keating Centre in front of a crowd of 900.ย 

Matt Needham (Pentincton, BC) potted the game winner in the third period for X while Subway player of the game Chase Marchand (Halifax, NS) posted 27 saves in goal as he earned his league-leading 10thย win of the season between the pipes.ย 

Theย firstย goal of the gameย cameย 5:32 seconds into the opening period.ย Axemen forward Bostonย Leierย (Saskatoon, SK) tookย possession of the puck from X-Men defensemanย Cole MacDonald (Wetaskiwin, AB) while on the penalty kill. Heย then found Chance Braid (Wainwright, BC) who fired a snapshotย as the Axemen’s first shot on goal beat Marchand for the short-handed marker.ย ย 

The X-Menย respondedย with a tally of their own midway through the period andย 17 secondsย intoย a power play opportunity.ย Following several quality scoring opportunities in the Axemen zone, the X-Men solved goaltender Robertย Steevesย (St. Joseph-de-Kent, NB)ย as forward Michael Clarke (London, ON) scored his 10th goal of the season.ย From the blue line Santino Centorame (Mississauga, ON) passed off toย Kristoff Kontosย (Penetanguishene, ON) who foundย Clarkeย in the slot. Clarke snapped the puck over the glove ofย Steevesย to tie the game at one.ย ย 

Shots inย the firstย period favoured StFXย atย 16-9.ย 

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