Axemen hold back Huskies with 8-3 win

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – A huge five goal second period for the Acadia Axemen helped lift them to an 8-3 victory over the visiting Saint Mary's Huskies. The fifth place Acadia Axemen (4-3) and last place Saint Mary's Huskies (2-5-1) were both looking for a win in Wolfivlle on Friday night, to try and move up in the AUS standings.

The first period was the calm before the goal scoring storm, with little offensive zone time by either team to start the game. Saint Mary's had their best opportunity around the midpoint of the first, with a 30 second 5-on-3 power play, but were unable to capitalize. Shots were 7-5 at the end of the first.

Saint Mary's was quick to open the scoring in the second, with a power-play marker from rookie forward, Bronson Beaton (Springhill, Ont.), 44 seconds into the period.

The Axemen scored five unanswered in the second, the first of which came from second year forward Kyle Farrell (Howie Center, N.S.) who snuck in past the Huskies defenders, while shorthanded, to redirect a pass from Sam Fioretti (Calgary, Alta.)

Acadia rookie forward, Stephen Harper (Burlington, Ont.) scored the second and fourth goals of the period. His first goal was a redirection of a point shot from third year defenseman Matthew Pufahl (Saskatoon, Sask.).

Harper's second of the period and third in two games came on a beautiful pass from fellow rookie and Axemen scoring leader Nick Betz (Detroit, Michigan)..

The remaining two Acadia goals of the period were scored on delayed penalties.

The first came from fifth year forward Brett Thompson (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.), who waited out a Huskies defender at the left face-off dot before tucking the puck under the crossbar on a delayed slashing call.

The second goal on a delayed penalty came in the last minute of the second, when Sam Fioretti scooped up the rebound of a shot from the blue-line, from underneath the glove of a sprawling Cheveldave.

Leading with a 25-12 shots on goal advantage, the Axemen closed the second period with a 5-1 advantage.

Rookie Huskies forward Hunter Garlent (Thorlod, Ont.) scored a wrister from the right face-off dot past a screened Devon Williams (Detroit, Michigan) in the opening of the third period to cut the deficit to three. A wrap-around goal by fourth-year Huskies forward Steven Shipley (Ilderton, Ont.) roughly four-minutes later narrowed the Acadia lead to 5-3.

Although the Huskies seemed to have the momentum, the Axemen once again responded with three more goals of their own. Fioretti and Farrell both added their second of the night, while Boston Leier (Saskatoon, Sask.), scored on a partial breakaway, placing the puck top high glove side on Cheveldave, while being dragged to the ice by the Huskies defender.

Axeman Sam Fioretti captured the honours as the Subway First Star of the game, while Huskie Bronson Beaton and Axeman Kyle Farrell followed with second and third stars respectively.

Axemen goaltender Devin Williams did not face much traffic in net, stopping 16 of 19, while his Saint Mary's counterpart, Cole Cheveldave turned away 24 of 32 on the night.

It was an especially rough night, that saw 52 minutes in penalties handed out between the two teams, with 41 going to the Axemen and 11 to Saint Mary's. Saint Mary's went 1-for-8 on the power play, while the Axemen went 0-for-2.

Acadia hits the ice again tomorrow night at 7:00pm in Moncton, to take on the Aigles Bleus, while Saint Mary's returns to the ice on Nov. 4 against the UPEI Panthers in P.E.I.

Provided by Joshua Foote, Acadia Communications Office