Four unanswered 3rd period goals seal victory

The Acadia Axemen kicked off the second half of the AUS men’s hockey season on a snowy night in Halifax as they faced the Saint Mary’s Huskies at the historic Halifax Forum. It took two periods for the Axemen (13-6-1)  to shed the holiday rust, but by the third period, they looked like a well-oiled machine, scoring four unanswered goals on route to a 4-1 victory over the Huskies (9-10-1).

Between the pipes, the Axemen started Robert Steeves who ended the first half strong in goal with 5 wins, while Saint Mary’s countered with Cole Cheveldave.

SMU had a chance to shake off the holiday break already as they had opened their second half with a game on Wednesday night and it showed in the first period as they carried an edge in play in the opening period. This led to a goal on the powerplay from the newest Huskie, Aaron Berisha at 10:49 of the opening period. Berisha, playing in just his second game after committing to Saint Mary’s over the break. Calder Brooks and Hunter Garlent picked up the helpers on the goal. Shots after the first period were 7-4 in favor of Saint Mary’s.

The second period was a tight affair that saw three powerplays for each team, but neither side could capitalize and the teams went to the 2^nd intermission with the same 1-0 score. Shots on goal were 8-6 in favor of Acadia in the 2^nd period.

The Axemen started the third period on the man advantage and were able to get on the scoreboard as Daniel Pettersson ripped home a booming slap shot 56 seconds into the frame to tie the game. Boston Leier and Geoff Schemitsch picked up the assists.

Midway through the period, Axemen defenseman Matt Pufahl was able to intercept a clearing attempt from the Huskies, keeping the puck on side by the narrowest of margins, before carrying the puck towards the SMU net and dishing it off to Taylor Makin who one timed the puck past Cheveldave to give the visitors the lead.Read more »

Axemen sit in 2nd in AUS at Holiday Break

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Varsity Reds scored four power-play goals in a 5-2 win over the visiting Acadia Axemen, in the 25th edition of UNB’s Mark Jeffrey Memorial Game.

Philippe Maillet(Terrebonne, QC) scored twice and assisted on two other goals to lead UNB.

In a pre-game ceremony, Maillet was named the recipient of the annual Mark Jeffrey Scholarship.

Jordan Murray(Riverview, NB) also had a four-point night for the Varsity Reds, recording four assists.

“They’re a tough team to play against,” said Murray, of the Axemen. “They have big “D”, they play physical, they want to take our skill away, make us take stupid penalties, but we came out on top tonight.”

Matt Murphy(Fredericton, NB), Rob Mignardi(Richmond Hill, ON), and Chris Clapperton(Cap Espoir, QC) also scored for the home team.

Geoff Schemitsch(Thornhill, ON) scored both goals for the Axemen.

Acadia opened the scoring at 2:09 of the first period, when Schemitsch beat Alex Dubeau(Mascouche, QC).

Murphy evened the score, with his first goal of the season and first as a Varsity Red, at 10:05. Read more »

Thompson with 3 points in the Acadia Win

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The Panthers struggles continued Friday night as they let a late lead slip against the Acadia Axemen who came out on top 5-4 in a shootout.

The comeback looked complete when the Panthers (5-9-3) stormed in front of their opponent with three third period goals. However, with less than three minutes remaining in the game, Axeman Stephen Harper tied it at four, sending the match into overtime.

“That says a lot about our team,” said Brett Thompson, who assisted on the game-tying goal and recorded a game-high three points (one goal, two assists). “They got us on our heels and they were giving it to us, but we showed a lot of character and answered back right away.”

Despite surrendering a third period lead, Axemen head coach Darren Burns credited his team’s no-quit attitude.

“To get scored on three times in the third and then come back and win is great,” Burns said. “I’m extremely proud of this team.”

With Friday’s win, Burns’ squad improved to 11-5-1, while extending their win streak to four games.

Aiming to get back in the win column, the Panthers controlled the pace from the opening puck drop. Only three minutes into the game, Marcus Power fired a cross-ice pass to Brent Andrews who flew in from the slot and redirected it for the quick 1-0 lead.

Momentum shifted Acadia’s way near the end of the period when they scored twice in just three minutes. Acadia capitalized on a Panthers miscue at 16:33 when Tyler Ferry got hold of a blind clearing attempt and scored the game-tying goal, his first of the season.

With seconds remaining in the period, Matthew Pufahl added to the lead with a power play marker. Read more »

Leier & Harper with two goals each

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The UPEI Panthers (5-9-2) were unable to snap their five game skid, extending their losing streak to six, with a 5-2 loss to the Acadia Axemen (10-5-1) on Saturday night in Wolfville. The Axemen continued their winning ways, having now picked up nine of their last ten possible points.

Acadia jumped out to a 1-0 lead, early in the first, when rookie forward, Stephen Harper (Burlington, Ont.), fired one past UPEI goaltender, Matt Mahalak (Monrow, Michigan). Harper scored on a nice feed from Brett Thompson (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.), who picked up the puck in the corner, before passing it to Harper to make it 1-0 for the Axemen.

UPEI answered at the tail end of the opening period on the power play, when second year forward Sam Aulie (Lumsden, Sask.) sped in and danced around the Axemen defense, before sniping the top right corner of the net past Axemen goalie Robert Steeves (Moncton, N.B.).

Acadia led 12-8 in shots at the end of the first, with the teams in a 1-1 deadlock.

Harper continued to dominate in the second, scoring on the power-play, with a one-timer on a pass from fellow rookie, Alex Lepkowski (Buffalo, New York), who also had a secondary assist on Harper’s first goal.

Acadia struck again, with a passing play entering the offensive zone, with fourth-year forward Tyler Makin (Lethbridge, Alta.) sliding a cross-ice pass to third-year forward Boston Leier (Saskatoon, Sask.), who buried the puck past a sprawling Panthers goaltender, putting the Axemen up 3-1.

Heading into the third period, the Axemen were leading 24-16 in shots and held a 3-1 lead.

A scrappy third period saw Boston Leier add his second of the night, with a beautiful shorthanded marker. Leier blew past the UPEI defenders and waited out Mahalak and lofted the puck over the UPEI goalie’s left pad.Read more »

Steeves Stars in Goal for Acadia

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen (9-5-1) defeated the first place UNB Varsity Reds (12-1-2) 2-1, handing the V-Reds their first regulation loss of the season and snapping their eight-game winning streak. Axemen goaltender Robert Steeves (Moncton, N.B.) had a stellar game, giving Acadia a win against the U Sports No. 1 ranked team in the country.

Acadia struck first in a fast paced first period. Fourth year defenseman Geoff Schemitsch (Thornhill, Ont.) took a slap shot from the point that was redirected by forward Michael Clarke (Halifax, N.S), to put the Axemen up 1-0 on the power-play.

UNB responded roughly six minutes later, at the beginning of a four-minute penalty kill, when fifth year V-Reds forward, Rob Mignardi (Richmond Hill, Ont.), sped past the defenseman and ripped a low wrist shot past Axemen goaltender, Robert Steeves.

By periods end, UNB led in shots, 11-9, with the game tied at 1-1 and the Axemen carrying a power-play over into the second.Read more »

Pufahl & Harper chip in with 3 assists a piece

The Axemen travelled to Halifax on Friday night to face the surprising team of the first half in the AUS, the Dalhousie Tigers. Although Acadia had won the previous two games with the Tigers this season, the Tigers came in to play just 2 points back of the Axemen. Acadia’s lineup was decimated by injuries, with starting netminder Devin Williams out, and top forwards Kyle Farrell, Nick Betz, and Chance Braid all injured. But the Axemen didn’t use that as an excuse, as they toppled Dalhousie by a 5-2 score at the old Halifax Forum.

For the first time this season, the Axemen powerplay was the reason for the victory, converting on 3 of 8 chances. The man advantage has been a major speed bump this year coming in to play on Friday with just a 6% conversion rate, worst in the AUS.

The Axemen came out flying, scoring off the opening faceoff on their first shot as Boston Leier converted a cross crease pass from Matthew Pufahl just 11 seconds into the game to give Acadia the early 1-0 lead.  That score stuck until late in the period when the Axemen doubled their lead while on the powerplay, as Marc McNalty parked himself in front of the Dal net and put a rebound past the Dal netminder Corbin Boes. Just over 2 minutes later, the Axemen appeared to take a firm hold on the game when Stephen Harper found Michael Clarke at the left circle. Clarke ripped a perfect shot over the shoulder of the Dal netminder to make it 3-0 with just 35 seconds to play in the opening period. But the Tigers responded quickly as Felix Page showed great skill and patience as he dangled around Axemen netminder Robert Steeves to get his team on the board just 23 seconds later, and sent the teams to the intermission with a 3-1 score.

Dalhousie fed off that late first period goal by scoring just 1:24 into the second period, cutting the Acadia lead to just one goal, as Page again found the back of the net. The teams headed to the dressing rooms with the score 3-2 for Acadia.

The Axemen found their stride in the third period with the man advantage as Daniel Pettersson unloaded a slap shot from the point, with a nice screen in front of the net, compliments of Sam Fioretti to give Acadia a two goal lead. Midway through the period, again on the powerplay, Remy Giftopoulos walked into the high slot and snapped a shot past Boes to seal the win for Acadia 5-2.

Acadia fired 40 shots at the Dal net, while Robert Steeves turned aside 23 of 25 shots he faced. Matt Pufahl and Stephen Harper each had 3 assists on the night, while Boston Leier and Michael Clarke each had a goal and an assist.

With the win, Acadia advanced to 8-5-1, while Dalhousie fell to 5-6-3. The Axemen have Saturday night off, as they head home to prepare to host the AUS #1 team, the UNB Varsity Reds next Friday and the UPEI Panthers on Saturday.

Pufahl & Giftopolous score for Axemen

Antigonish, NS -  The U Sports #2-ranked StFX X-Men (10-4) skated to a 3-2 overtime victory over the visiting Acadia Axemen (7-5-1) in Atlantic University Sport (AUS) hockey action Wednesday night at the Keating Centre.

Freshman Cole MacDonald (Wetaskiwin, AB) notched the game-winner, at 2:28 of the extra session, after taking a lead pass from team-mate Kristoff Kontos (Penetanguishene, ON), who notched the lone assist.

Both teams engineered great chances in the end-to-end 3-on-3 overtime period.

In the first period, at the 2:38 mark, freshman forward Matt Needham (Penticton, BC) opened the scoring for StFX. Bryson Cianfrone (Stoney Creek, ON) and Adam Stevens (Bedford, NS) assisted on the power-play goal.

A short time later, the X-Men garnered a man advantage, with Holden Cook (Oshawa, ON) walking off the side boards to take a hard wrist shot, but Axemen freshman goaltender Devin Williams (Saginaw, MI) made the save and smothered the puck.

While short-handed, Boston Leier (Saskatoon, SK) got sent in on a partial breakaway for the Axemen, but Brandon Hope (Canton, MI) stretched out his left pad and glove hand to make the stop on the forward’s shot from the top of the face-off circle.

Leier collected a second scoring opportunity, on the same penalty kill, but Hope steered the shot aside with his right pad.

At 11:45, defenseman Matthew Pufahl (Saskatoon, SK) sent a lead pass to a streaking Remy Giftopoulos (Ancaster, ON), who went from forehand to backhand, before stuffing the puck behind Hope. Pufahl notched the lone assist on the equalizer.

Forward Mark Tremaine (Dartmouth, NS) attempted to regain the lead for the X-Men, but Williams corralled his soft backhander from in close.

On the power play, Leier had another chance, after taking a pass from Nick Betz (Detroit, MI), in the slot, but Hope stymied him, again, with his right pad.

Late in the period, X-Men captain Eric Locke (Toronto, ON) found a streaking MacDonald, but he could not beat Williams, from the lip of the crease. Cook started the play with a cross-ice feed to Locke, who carried the puck just inside the blue line.

Regan Spears (Port Hood, NS) and Cianfrone also had chances to make it 2-1, before the end of the frame, but Williams was equal to the task.

In a fast-paced and physical second period, the teams went scoreless.

Early on, Leier bolted in on his off-wing, but the puck rolled away from him and through the X-Men crease, before he could get away a quality shot.

The best chance to start the middle frame, for the X-Men, came off the stick of Locke, who was left alone in front of the net. But, after taking a cross-ice pass from Kontos, he had to gather the puck before shooting, which gave Williams time to slide over and make the save.

Giftopoulos had a chance for his second of the night, but Hope made another right pad save.  Read more »