Giftopoulos nets winner, 4-3 Final

The Acadia Axemen lost Game One of their AUS semi-final series to the Saint Mary’s Huskies 3-2 in double overtime. Another loss would almost prove fatal. Forced to win three games against a Saint Mary’s squad that boasted a stingy Anthony Peters in goal would prove next to impossible.

The Axemen hung on for a 4-3 win in Wolfville Thursday evening, evening their series at one game apiece. It was another classic between these two squads, with Anthony Peters and Brandon Glover of Acadia putting on a collective goaltending clinic. Both made spectacular saves throughout the game. Neither team was able to seize control of the game, and it took an Axemen goal with 2:40 remaining in the game to squeak past the Huskies.

The first two periods of the game solved nothing, as both teams traded goals in both frames. Bradley Greene opened the scoring at the 15:39 mark, only to watch as Brett Thompson tied the affair with a penalty shot goal at 17:47. Glover stopped four of five shots in the frame, as Peters knocked aside 17 of 18 shots.Read more »

Franko with a pair of goals for Acadia

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The opening game of the best of five semi-final series between the CIS No. 3 ranked Acadia Axemen and the No. 5 ranked Saint Mary’s Huskies was decided after two overtime periods.

Huskie Francis Menard (Embrun, Ont.) knocked in the game winner just over 6 minutes into the second overtime period to give Saint Mary’s a 3-2 win and a 1-0 lead in the best of five series.

With a 13-8 shots on goal advantage for the host Axemen, neither team could score in the opening period.

Not until 5:39 of the second period on the powerplay did the game record its first goal by first year forward Zach Franko (Winnipeg, Man.) who scored his first of two goals for Acadia.Read more »

Acadia Earns 1st Round Playoff Bye

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – With a large gathering on hand for the official opening of Andrew H. McCain Arena and a quarterfinal playoff bye on the line, the CIS No. 3 ranked Axemen could feel the energy of a hopeful crowd of 1996.

It was a timely effort by the Axemen who had yet to beat the StFX in three regular season match ups. Acadia saved their best performance for last as they rallied late in the final period to grab a 5-4 victory over the X-Men by scoring two goals in the remaining 90 seconds to punch their ticket to a second round berth.

On a rare 2-on-0 break at the eight minute mark of the opening period, rookie Boston Leier (Saskatoon, Sask.), decided to shoot the puck rather than pass it, sniping a shot off the cross bar to give Acadia a 1-0 lead. Tyler Ferry (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Taylor Makin (Lethbridge, Alta.) received assists on the play.

Under a minute later, X-Men forward Trey Lewis (Aldouane, N.B.) scored his second goal of the season on a 2-on-1 break that tied the game at one.

The X-Men took the first of three leads when Michael Kirkpatrick (North Sydney, N.S.) scored on the powerplay at 13:30 of the first. Read more »

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The Dalhousie Tigers grabbed an upset win over the CIS No. 3 Acadia Axemen with three unanswered goals to give the Tigers a 5-2 victory. A win over the Tigers would have guaranteed the Axemen a quarterfinal bye, but now Acadia will have to win or tie StFX tomorrow night to capture second place in the AUS final standings.

After an opening ceremony that paid tribute to our Canadian Forces and graduating Acadia Axemen hockey players along with a puck dropping by former SMILE member and an Axemen follower for over 20 years Nick Vidito, the Tigers were quick to jump on the scoreboard.

Second year forward Andrew Rieder (Regina, Sask.) buried a perfectly placed wrist shot from in tight over the shoulder of Brandon Glover (Victoria, B.C.) to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead only one minute and eleven seconds into the opening frame.

Just over 11 minutes later, the Tigers extended the lead to two on the powerplay when Mike Evelyn (Ottawa, Ont.) scored his sixth goal of the season.

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