Seniors Pettersson with 4 points, Clarke with 3 in Axemen win

FREDERICTON (U SPORTS) – Acadia forward Michael Clarke (Halifax, N.S.) had two goals in the first period, and Daniel Pettersson (Toronto, Ont.) added two in the second to lead the Axemen to a 7-3 win over StFX, in the bronze medal game at the 2017 U SPORTS Cavendish Farms University Cup.

University Cup website: www.universitycup.ca

Acadia led 2-0 after 20 minutes, but Sam Studnicka (Windsor, Ont.) scored for the X-Men just 14 seconds into the second period tocut the deficit in half . Acadia would forge ahead though for good, scoring four more in the frame to put the game away. Boston Leier (Saskatoon, Sask.)  found the back of the net at 12:03, followed just 31 seconds later by Liam Maaskant (Clinton, Ont). Pettersson  then tallied his first of two at 13:30, before Eric Locke’s (Toronto, Ont.) power play marker with 1:34 to go. Pettersson, would add his second with 22 seconds to play in the frame.

Nathan Pancel (Ottawa, Ont.) StFX within three just under three and a half minutes into the third before Taylor Makin (Lethbridge, Alta.) rounded out the scoring for Acadia with a power play goal at 19:44

Acadia outshot StFX 34-29 in the contest.  

The game was the ninth meeting of the season between the two teams, with StFX winning both the season series 4-1 and the best-of-five AUS semifinal 3-0.

Acadia head coach Darren Burns said the bronze medal was a nice way to finish the season, after coming into the tournament seeded eighth.

“This shows the passion of our players,” he said. “Guys played with integrity and character. It was tough to turn around after yesterday’s loss, but we had to pick up and battle on, and we did.”

On the other side, StFX head coach Brad Peddle said the turn-around was not an easy one for his players, after falling to Saskatchewan 8-0 in Saturday’s semifinal Read more »

Axemen to face StFX for bronze medal on Sunday

FREDERICTON (U SPORTS) – The UNB Varsity Reds scored in the first and second periods, added an empty-net goal late in the third, and Etienne Marcoux (Terrebonne, Que.) stopped all 20 shots fired at him, en route to a 3-0 victory over the Acadia Axemen in the first semifinal of the 2017 U SPORTS Cavendish Farms University Cup.  UNB will now play the winner of the second semifinal between StFX and Saskatchewan.

University Cup website: www.universitycup.ca

UNB opened the scoring on their very first shot on goal, at 4:28 of the first, when Chris Caissy (Campbellton, N.B.) drew defenders to his side of the net and slipped the puck to Stephen Anderson (Morell, P.E.I) who put it past Acadia goaltender Robert Steeves (Moncton, N.B.).

Despite trailing, the Axemen defense kept UNB’s snipers to outside shots and had a 6-5 edge in shots in the opening frame.

In the second period, Jordan Murray (Riverview, N.B.) added another for UNB on the power play off a point shot that found its way past Steeves. Up by two in the third, Chris Clapperton (Cap Espoir, Que.) got behind  a defender and rolled a nice pass to Phillipe Maillet (Terrebonne, Que.), who put it into an empty net with 1:13 left. UNB outshot Acadia 30–20.

It was a feisty and spirited game between the two Atlantic University Sport rivals with plenty of hitting.

It will be the third year in a row that UNB has appeared in the gold medal game and MacDougall acknowledged it will  be a momentous occasion.

“It is really special to get to the final four in the national competition,” MacDougall said. “It is a testament to the quality of the hockey in the AUS that these teams are there.” 

Acadia coach Darren Burns was pleased with his team’s effort, despite the loss.

“In a tournament like this, you can never be flat, and we were the furthest thing from flat,” he said. “We played hard. It is a game of bounces-maybe (if)  one or two  go our way, and things are different. We competed every shift. UNB is a great team. We need to regroup and be ready for the bronze game tomorrow.”

When asked his thoughts of tomorrow’s bronze medal game and whether the team is interested in the 9:30 am game prior to the gold medal game, Axemen captain Geoff Schemitsch pointed out that the game has great importance.

“We are not going into it with the mindset that we are not playing for anything. It’s important to our team and our program. So we are going to do our best and refocus and try to have a short memory and forget what happened today, learn from what we did and come out hard tomorrow and win a bronze”, noted Schemitsch.Read more »

Steeves with 33 saves in Acadia win

by Mike Gange, for U Sports

FREDERICTON (U SPORTS) – The No. 8-seeded Acadia University Axemen eliminated the top-ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears by a 4-1 score in the opening game of the  2017 U SPORTS Cavendish Farms University Cup at the Aitken University Centre in Fredericton. The tournament is being hosted by the University of New Brunswick.

University Cup website: www.universitycup.ca

The Golden Bears scored the only goal of the first period. Taylor Cooper (Sherwood Park, Alta.) scored at 10:07 on an Axemen turn over, beating Acadia goaltender Robert Steeves (Moncton, N.B.) for the even-strength marker.

But the Axemen rallied with two in the second and another pair in the third, including an empty-net marker with only seconds to go in the game, to clinch the win and the upset. Kyle Farrell (Howie Center, N.S.) beat Golden Bears goalie Brendan Burke (Scottsdale, Ariz.) at 1:04 of the second, and Boston Leier (Saskatoon, Sask.) scored the eventual game winner at 14:19 of the frame.Read more »

Acadia punches ticket to Nationals with win

Halifax N.S. – The Acadia Axemen are in the 2017 University Cup after beating the Saint Mary’s Huskies 3-0 at the Halifax Forum in the AUS Consolation series – as a third berth into the U SPORTS Championship.

“I’ve been coaching for a long time and I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of a group of guys like this group,” said Axemen head coach Darren Burns. “These guys have gotten better every week and we’ve battled hard.”

“We had a tough last series and a tough week and to come in here and play as well as they did and do what they did, I’m so proud of them.”

The Axemen will be the third entry from the AUS in the tournament. They will join the UNB Varsity Reds and the StFX X-Men.

“We worked hard to put ourselves in a position where there was two opportunities [to get there],” said Burns. “This core group of guys has been to the nationals three of the last four years now and we haven’t hosted that’s earning your way there.”

Robert Steeves (Moncton N.B.) made 19 saves to pick up the shutout and the win.

Boston Leier (Saskatoon Sask.), Geoff Schemitsch (Thornhill Ont.) and Stephen Harper (Burlington Ont.) all lit the lamp for the Axemen. All three goals came on the power-play.

Eric Brassard (St Hubert Que.) made 33 saves, including several that were pure larceny, in the loss.

As has been the story all playoffs the Huskies were playing with a short bench with only 15 skaters dressed. Read more »

Thompson with 3 pts, Steeves 32 saves in win

Wolfville, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen snapped a three-game losing streak in the playoffs, beating the Saint Mary’s Huskies 5-1 on Monday night in Wolfville. Acadia now holds a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three consolation series. The winner of the consolation series will be the third of three AUS teams to qualify for the U SPORTS championship hosted by UNB.

Prior to the game, Axemen forward Brandon Childerley (Stratford, Ont.) received a standing ovation from the Wolfville crowd after coming out for a ceremonious puck drop. Childerley is currently out of the line-up following health complications from a game on Feb. 23.

Axemen forward Chance Braid (Wainwright, Alta.) scored the game-winner, with 7:14 left to play in the second.

Braid was in the slot, and fired a one-timer, off a pass from Remy Giftopoulos (Ancaster, Ont.), and buried it in the top right corner of the net, to give the Axemen a 2-1 lead and the eventual win.

Following a period of solid chances from both sides, Acadia opened the scoring late in the first period, with a goal from forward, Brett Thompson (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.).Read more »