Acadia Punches Ticket To CIS University Cup Tournament

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The CIS No. 5 ranked Acadia Axemen topped the No. 3 Saint Mary’s Huskies 3-2 in game five of the best of five semi-final series, punching their ticket to not only an AUS championship best of three series against the UNB Varsity Reds, but also they will have their second consecutive “kick at the can” at this year’s CIS University Cup championship held in Halifax.

In a sold out Andrew H. McCain Arena, the Huskies drew blood first on a goal by Gerrad Grant (Halifax, N.S.) on the man advantage at 5:41 of the first period.

Saint Mary’s forward Gerrard Grant put a back door pass from Stephen Johnston (Guelph, Ont.) past Brandon Glover (Victoria, B.C.). Steven Beyers (Orangeville, Ont.) added the second assist on the play.

Midway through opening period, a Huskie goal was disallowed due to a kicking motion, keeping Acadia within one.Read more »

Axemen defeat SMU 2-1

The Acadia Axemen came to Halifax on Tuesday night on a mission – to win game #4, and force a fifth and deciding game in this series, on Thursday night at home in Wolfville. Mission accomplished tonight.

The Axemen downed the Saint Mary’s Huskies by the slimmest of margins, in a tight, nail biting 2-1 victory.

The Axemen were playing without 1^st year high scoring forward Zach Franko, who left Sundays game in the 2^nd period with an undisclosed injury. The injury list grew when Acadia also lost the services of 5^th year defenseman Chris Owens, early in the opening period, as he left the ice with a lower body injury and did not return. SMU was playing without one of their regular defenseman in Alex Cord, who was suspended for the game.

Saint Mary’s opened the scoring in the first period at 7:55 when 4^th year forward Matt Tipoff banged home a goal from just outside the crease. SMU was on the powerplay at the time, with Steven Shipley & Stephen Johnston picked up assists on the goal.

The Axemen answered back at 14:24 with their own powerplay marker. With the Huskies two men short, Brett Thompson had the puck at the point and skated in a few strides before wiring the puck past Anthony Peters to square the game at 1. Assists on the goal went to Matthew Pufahl & Remy Giftopoulos. That was the way the period ended with SMU going 1 for 2 on the powerplay, and Acadia 1 for 4. The Axemen outshot SMU 12-8 in the period, but both Anthony Peters and Acadia’s Brandon Glover made some outstanding saves for their respective teams.Read more »

Huskies Lead Best of 5 Series 2-1

Game 3, of the best of 5 AUS semi-final playoff series, took place on Sunday night at the Halifax Forum, with the Saint Mary’s Huskies playing host to the Acadia Axemen. When the smoke cleared and the final buzzer went off, it was the Huskies winning by a score of 4-0 to take a 2-1 series lead. From here on out, it’s a win or done situation for the Axemen as they will need to take Tuesday’s game 4 in order to push the series back home to Wolfville for a game 5.

The two teams played a scoreless first period, with Acadia firing 9 shots on goal and SMU with 8, but both Brandon Glover for Acadia, and Anthony Peters for SMU, stood tall in their respective net stopping all comers. Both teams were 0 for 2 on the powerplay in the opening frame.

The second period saw SMU open the scoring at 4:33, when Bradley Greene came out from behind the net and shovelled a pass to the far side of the net, to wide open teammate Michael Curtis who tapped the pass home.

At 11:44, with Huskies defenceman Alex Cord off for checking from behind, his teammates were able to score shorthanded, when Stephen Johnston was stopped by Glover, the puck appeared to be under the goaltender’s pad, out of sight, but Jamie Doornbosch came in and knocked at the pad pushing the puck into the net. To many onlookers surprise, the goal counted and Saint Mary’s took a 2-0 lead into the dressing room after 2 period. Acadia outshot SMU 14-9 in the period; Acadia was 0 for 3 on the man advantage in the 2^nd.Read more »

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 »