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Bell with 2 goals, Zazula 3 assists in win

Antigonish, NS – The Acadia Axemnen played to a decisive 8-3 win over the STFX X-Men Friday night, spoiling the home opener for the White and Blue.  

X-Men defenseman Charlie Callaghan (Toronto, ON) opened the scoring 46 seconds into the game, depositing a one-timer off a nice pass from Alex Christopoulos (Richmond Hill, ON) while on a 2-on-1.  

The Axemen then scored three unanswered goals in the first period. Cam MacDonald (Hammonds Plains, NS) took a pass in front of the net and beat X netminder Partrick Leaver (Perth, ON) with a high shot eight minutes in. 

Just over a minute later Brendan Sellan (Bolton, ON) brought the puck in the end zone and pushed it towards the X goal, getting a timely deflection in off an X defender. 

Acadia’s third goal came with 3:27 left off the stick of Corson Hopwo (Duncan, BC) who pounced on a loose puck and beat Leaver with a high shot. 

Shots were fairly even in the opening period – 12-11 for STFX – but it was the Axemen who had the 3-1 lead on the scoreboard. 

The visitors took a 4-1 lead a minute into the second period with a goal from Peyton Hoyt (Fredericton, NB). He took down the puck down the left wing into the X zone and sniped a high shot over the shoulder of Leaver. 

Kian Bell (Fall River, NS) gave the Axemen a four-goal lead at 5:57 of the second, scoring on the power play on a shot through traffic. 

The X-Men found themselves in penalty trouble late in the period and continued to trail 5-1 after 40 minutes.  

Acadia kept with the scoring touch in the third period when Bell tallied his second of the night, this time off a pass from Zack Jones (North Falmouth, MA) in tight. 

Brady Burns (Port Williams, NS) made it a 7-1 Axemen lead when he scored on a wonky bounce off the boards that came back over top and into the X net. 

The X-Men got a pair of goals back to make it a 7-3 game. 

Jacob Maillet (Dundas, ON) scored on the power play, depositing a rebound after Axemen goalie Thomas Couture (Levis, QC) made the initial save off a Callaghan shot. 

Christopoulos scored the third X goal, beating Couture with a high shot over the shoulder in tight. 

Ethan Ernst (Weyburn, SK) rounded out the scoring for the Axemen with a power play goal with 3:45 left in the game. 

Acadia outshot the X-Men by a 34-29 margin as Couture posted 26 saves for the win and garnered first star and player of the game honours. 

Acadia’s Hoyt was second star as he had a goal and assist for the visitors. STFX’s Christopoulos was the third star with a goal and two assists. 

The Axemen will be back in action Saturday night, October 12th when they host the Dalhousie Tigers. Puck drop is 7:00 pm. 

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Burns and Slaney with the Axemen goals

HALIFAX, NS – Saint Mary’s forward Ben Allison scored two goals and an assist, leading the Huskies to a 5-2 win over the Acadia Axemen on Saturday night, in front of 388 fans at the Dauphinee Centre in Halifax. 

It was the Axemen who would strike first on the evening, off a powerplay goal from forward Brady Burns (Port Williams, NS), giving the visitors a 1-0 lead 10:01 into the first period. 

But the Huskies equalized several minutes later, as forward Charlie Da Fonseca (Thornhill, ON) skated behind the net and threw the puck in front, where it took a fortuitous bounce onto the stick of Ben Allison (Halifax, NS) who wired it past Axemen netminder Thomas Couture (Levis, QC) to tie the game at 1-1 with just under two minutes remaining in the period.  

Despite the goals, Couture and Huskies goaltender Justin Sumarah (Halifax, NS) were both sharp over the opening 20 minutes, denying 11 and 10 shots respectively, and the Axemen took a 12-11 advantage in shots on goal into the first intermission. 

It took just 40 seconds into the second period for the Huskies to take the lead, as forward Bradey Johnson (Lindsay, ON) won the faceoff to Cedric Ralph (Peterborough, ON) who dished a pass to Reid Valade (Caledon, ON) who wired a shot past Couture to put the Huskies ahead 2-1. 

Allison’s second goal of the night would add to the Huskies lead, as the second year forward played a perfect give-and-go with linemate Derek Gentile (Sydney, NS), extending the lead to 3-1, 6:22 into the second period. 

Acadia cut it back to a one-goal lead midway through the period, as first year defenceman Keagan Slaney (Airdrie, AB) won the puck away from a Husky and fired a high shot over the shoulder of a screened Justin Sumarah for Slaney’s first career AUS goal, cutting the lead to 3-2. 

The Huskies outshot the Axemen 11-10 in the second period, with the Huskies taking a 3-2 into second intermission. 

Saint Mary’s would add to the lead in the third period, with Dennis Busby scoring a powerplay goal off of a set-up from Ben Allison. 

In the final seconds of regulation, defenceman Jaxon Bellamy (Hampton, NB) scored an empty netter from the other end, icing the 5-2 victory. 

Huskies forward Ben Allison was named Player of the Game with two goals and an assist. Allison’s linemates Charlie Da Fonseca and Derek Gentile both recorded two assists.  

Saint Mary’s goaltender Justin Sumarah made 26 saves for the win, while Axemen goaltender Thomas Couture turned away 27 shots in defeat. 

The Huskies win improves their record to 2-0-0 on the season. They’ll be back on home ice next Thursday, Oct. 10, hosting the STFX X-Men at 7 p.m. at the Dauphinee Centre.  

The Axemen loss drops their record to 1-1-0 on the campaign. They will also face the X-Men next, Friday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. in Antigonish, NS. 

Recap by Allan April / Saint Mary’s Huskies Athletics
Photos by Eduardo Ibarra / Saint Mary’s Huskies Athletics 

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Nagy with 3 points in win for Acadia

By UPEI’s Thomas Becker 

It’s not the way the UPEI Panthers wanted to start their season. 

The Panthers’ season-opening struggles continued Friday night as they fell 5-1 to the Acadia Axemen, marking their second consecutive home loss. The Panthers (0-2) were overwhelmed by Acadia’s fast start, surrendering four goals in the first 13 minutes—a deficit they were could not overcome. 

The Axemen (1-0) wasted no time establishing their dominance, opening the scoring just 2:09 into the game. After winning the puck battle in the corner, Acadia forward Corson Hopwo managed to fire a shot from a tough angle that beat goaltender Jakob Robillard, giving the visitors a quick 1-0 lead. 

The early onslaught continued at 7:57 when Marc Boudreau retrieved the puck along the sideboards and directed a shot on goal. Brendan Sellan, stationed in front of Robillard, attempted a backhander before poking the puck past the netminder, doubling the lead to 2-0. 

Barely over a minute later, Brendan Mairs found teammate Cole Nagy on the opposite wing, where he fired a well-placed shot past Robillard. With the Panthers trailing 3-0 and Robillard facing just five shots, head coach Forbes MacPherson saw enough and pulled Robillard for Joe Ranger. 

However, the Axemen weren’t done. At 13:08, Brady Burns took a loose puck into the slot and found Cam MacDonald near the far post where he beat Ranger with a quick release shot, putting his team ahead 4-0 before the first intermission. 

Despite the lopsided first period, the Panthers regrouped and came out fighting in the second. Their efforts were rewarded at 2:41 when defenceman Derek Pys walked into a shot that was deflected in front by Marc Richard which cut the deficit to 4-1. 

However, the Axemen quickly squashed any momentum UPEI was building. Just under two minutes later, Luke Zazula fired a shot off a faceoff win that was deflected in front by Mairs for Acadia’s fifth goal, effectively sealing the Panthers’ fate. 

The third period saw high emotions boil over as both teams racked up penalties and engaged in some heated exchanges. Multiple power play opportunities were squandered as neither team was able to capitalize on the man advantage.

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Axemen open up season on the road on Friday

Following an impressive 4-1 pre-season, the Acadia Axemen are ready to hit the ice this Friday in Charlottetown to face the UPEI Panthers in their regular season opener. The Panthers were responsible for Acadia’s only exhibition loss last Friday, a 7-1 defeat in Rustico, PEI.

We caught up with Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns, who shared his thoughts on the upcoming season: “Our team’s greatest strength right now is our commitment and unity. Early signs show a team that utilized the off-season, and it’s helped in our preparation for the start of the season. We’ve built a hard-working, high-character team that’s eager to prove its potential and what they believe they are capable of.”

The Axemen enter the 2024-25 season with plenty of optimism, beginning with a solid foundation in net, where AUS 1st Team All-Star and All-Rookie standout Thomas Couture leads the way.

Acadia also added depth between the pipes, recruiting MHL’s top goaltender Nicholas Sheehan to back up Couture. Brayden Peters continues to recover from surgery, and Jett Miller provides additional goaltending depth for the Axemen.

On defense, the Axemen have strengthened their blue line with the additions of Conor Shortall and Keagan Slaney. They join a dependable group of defencemen that includes Cam Whynot, Charlie Desroches, Tyler Deline, Orie Mainolfi, Brendan Tomilson, and Luke Zazula. Meanwhile, the team bid farewell to former Axemen Hudson Wilson and Morgan Nauss, both of whom graduated last year, and Merrick Rippon, who was forced to retire from competitive hockey due to injuries.

Coach Burns also expressed optimism about the forward group: “We’ve added more depth offensively, which will help us maintain pressure and play at a high pace. We might not be the highest-scoring team, but if we practice offensive play and stay healthy, this will help us without question.”

Up front, the Axemen have bolstered their lineup by adding centre Cam MacDonald for extra scoring punch, while Marc Boudreau brings size and grit. Kian Bell, who led the SJHL in scoring for two consecutive seasons, showcased his talent with three goals in the pre-season. Cam Wiebe adds further depth with his size and two-way play. The team will look to returning leaders Brady Burns and Bailey Peach to spearhead the offense, alongside Brendan Sellan, Liam Kidney, and Ethan Ernst. Cole Nagy, Zack Jones, and Peyton Hoyt will be relied on for their two-way contributions, while Corson Hopwo, Adam McMaster, and Brendan Mairs will be counted on to provide additional offensive support.

Reflecting on the pre-season, Coach Burns commented: “The AUS exhibition season is a good barometer for where your team stands. Teams will evolve and get better, and rosters will get altered throughout exhibition, but we feel confident in what we achieved. With back-to-back games coming up each weekend to start the season, so we felt it was important to do the same in our exhibition schedule to mirror that challenge. Overall, we liked what we saw and feel we accomplished a lot.”

What will the regular season hold for the Axemen? It all kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. You can catch the game live on AUStv.ca or tune in to AVR 97.7FM for Len Hawley’s pre-game show starting at 6:45 p.m. Don’t forget to follow @axemenhockey on X (formerly Twitter) for live in-game updates.

#GoAcadiaGo

Story by Chris Richards

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Turner to Lead Axemen Goalies and Youth Goalie Programs

The Acadia Axemen have added Valley native, Daniel Turner to their coaching staff as their new goaltending coach. Turner, lives in Halls Harbour with his wife and two kids, and grew up in Kentville, and was the Head Coach of both the U15 and U18 Valley Wildcats between 2010-2015.

 

We asked Dan what drew him to the opportunity at Acadia, and what excites him about the role, he said, “ AUS hockey is one of the best hockey leagues in the country, so it’s a real honour to be part of the coaching staff. Acadia has 3 returning goalies and one new recruit this year, who all come with high praise from Burnsy. It’s a real strength for the program. I’m excited to work with the group and be their person to lean on throughout the year.”

 

Over the past number of years, Turner has strived to increase his expertise through attending a number of world class training events, including:

  • The Roger Neilsen coaching clinic (3x) in Windsor, Ontario
  • Participated in the NHL mentorship program in 2022-23
  • 2023 NHL coaching conference in Nashville
  • 2024 East Coast Goaltending Convention.

Acadia Axemen Head Coach on the addition of Turner to his staff,  “It is very exciting for our program to bring Dan onto our staff. He is an extremely passionate person who intensely studies the position.

To have someone like this who grew up in the Valley makes it a great fit. He knows the importance of the relationship between our team and community. He will be an excellent role model and mentor for our university goalies. At the same time he will have a great impact on our youth goalies in the community. He’s someone that always wants to challenge himself and learn more.”

In terms of what he will bring to the table as the Axemen goalie coach, Turner said, “Goaltending can be a lonely position. Most people in hockey would agree it’s like a different language compared to forward or defencemen. It’s nice for the goalies to have someone on staff they know they can lean on. Someone that can run goalie specific practices each week and an advocate for the group. I hope to fulfill that role for each of our goalies.”

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Alberta native transfers from University of Alberta to Acadia

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome forward Cameron Wiebe to the hockey program.

Wiebe comes to Acadia after transferring from the University of Alberta, where he played the past two season with the Golden Bears. The 6’2” forward from Fairview, Alberta, will add size and depth up front for the Axemen. In 21 regular season games over the past 2 years with U of A, he added 6 points. In 2022-23, he also saw action in 2 games at the University Cup tournament.

Cam says he is looking forward to attending Acadia University and suiting up for the Axemen, “I’m excited to make connections with the kinesiology professors and learn from them as well as our Strength & Conditioning Coach. And as for playing for the Axemen, I’m excited to build a strong brotherhood with my teammates and hit the ice with them.”

Prior to playing USports action, in 2018-19 and 2019-20, he suited up for the U18 AAA Grand Prairie Storm. The following season he signed with the Fairview Flyers of the NWJHL, but they did not play regular season games in ‘20-‘21 due to the pandemic. He then moved on to the CapJHL where he notched 27 points in 24 games with Beverly Warriors in 21-22.

Acadia Axemen head coach Darren Burns likes his latest addition to his roster, “Cam will be a strong addition to our program for many reasons. He played for a team that has high standards and a program that has success. He’s played in a UCup so these experiences alone are a big asset.

He is a big kid who skates well for his size and will be a strong addition down low in the offensive zone. The AUS is a big body league and you can never have enough size. I really like his passion for the game and stepping into our program as a third-year player simply adds experience.”

As for Wiebe, he says Axemen fans can expect this from his game, “I play a hard, fast game, so fans can expect big hits, hard forechecking, and a heavy shot from me.”

The Axemen have now announced 7 new recruits for the upcoming season, including Wiebe, and fellow forwards Cam MacDonald, Marc Boudreau, Kian Bell, defensemen Conor Shortall and Keagan Slaney, and netminder Nicholas Sheehan.

The Axemen season is fast approaching, and the excitement is building for Acadia hockey! #GoAcadiaGo

Story by Chris Richards

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Cape Breton Eagles forward from Hammonds Plains, NS to join Acadia

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia native Cam MacDonald to the hockey program.

The 6’1” forward was drafted in the 2021 NHL Entry draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 5th round, 160th overall, and in committing to Acadia, he will reunite with his former Saint John Sea Dogs teammates Brady Burns, Charlie Desroches, and Thomas Couture, who won a Memorial Cup together in 2021-22.

We asked Cam what made him chose Acadia for his next chapter, he said, “I chose Acadia because they had a good group of people and players that I’ve played with over the years, with good schooling and it is closer to my hometown. The good recruiting class (by the Axemen) last season for winning games later on down the road was intriguing.

MacDonald began his QMJHL career with the Saint John Sea Dogs in 2020-21, where he scored 17 points in 30 regular season games, and then adding 5 points in 6 playoff games including 4 goals.

In 2021-22 he notched 34 points in 67 regular season games and another 3 points in 4 games at the Memorial Cup tournament.

In 2022-23, Cam was named an assistant captain with SeaDogs, where he played 27 games to start the season, scoring 29 points in 27 games, before being traded to the Gatineau Olympiques, where he added 27 points in 31 games. Over the course of the season, he scored a career best 56 points in 58 games, including 29 goals.

This past season he moved on to the Cape Breton Eagles, where he scored 19 goals, and 48 points in 63 games. He was heavily counted upon by the Eagles for scoring in their playoff drive and the Hammonds Plains native did not disappoint, as he put up 13 points in 13 games, as the Eagles surprised many with 3rd round playoff appearance. Cam was teammates in Cape Breton this season with fellow Axemen recruit Conor Shortall. MacDonald also participated in the training camp for the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes last September.

For his QMJHL career, in 218 regular season games he scored 73 goals and 155 points. In 24 playoff games he had 11 goals and 16 points.

Coach Darren Burns sees the commitment of MacDonald as a strong addition to the forward group saying, “Cam is a player that can make a team better in so many ways. On the ice, he has the smarts to play the power play, he’s a very sound penalty killer, great on faceoffs and plays the game hard and tough. His versatility and willingness to do whatever is best for his team has been on display his whole junior career.

We have watched him be a key piece of a memorial cup winner in Saint John, a go-to player who produced on a rebuilding team, and it’s no secret he was a driving force in Cape Breton’s run this past year.

You win with guys like Cam because they have no ego and are all heart. We are ecstatic to be able to bring him into our program.”

As for what fans can expect to see from him on the ice this fall in an Axemen jersey, Cam said, “I play a 200 foot game whether it’s offensively, working down low, off the rush, defensively winning face-offs, or play in the D zone. I like to pride myself on playing powerplay and penalty kill as well, whatever is needed.”

Acadia has now announced six recruiting commitments for the fall with MacDonald joining Eagles teammate, defenceman Conor Shortall, defenceman Keagan Slaney, forwards Marc Boudreau & Kian Bell, and netminder Nicholas Sheehan. Stay tuned for more announcements in the weeks ahead!

#GoAcadiaGo

Story by Chris Richards