Third period delivers 7-4 win over Moncton

Wolfville, N.S – Neither the icy aftermath of a winter storm or the prospect of seeing the entirety of Canada versus Sweden game stopped the Axemen faithful from coming to Wolfville on Friday night. Those who came for the game were not disappointed as the Acadia Axemen (12-5-2) won a back-and-forth game, 7-4 against the Moncton Aigles Bleu (3-15-2).

The Axemen dominated play for most of the opening period, leading 17-6 in shots and taking a 2-1 lead into the second.

Axemen forward Owen MacDonald fed a tight saucer pass across the ice to the third star of the night, Remy Giftopoulos who lifted the puck into the top right corner of the net to make it 1-0.

Exactly 41 seconds later, the Axemen doubled their lead when Subway First Star of the Game, Kyle Farrell took a lead pass from Giftopoulos and ripped a slap shot between the legs of the Moncton goalie to make it 2-0.

The Axemen ran into penalty trouble late in the period, as Aigles Bleu defenseman Jean-Francois Plante scored on a wrist shot in front of the Axemen net to cut the Acadia lead to 2-1.

Moncton and Acadia trading goals in the second period, with the Axemen holding a 5-4 lead heading into the final frame.

Moncton scored two more goals on the man-advantage in the second, with one coming from Joey Richard in tight and the other coming off a point shot from Plante for his second of the game.

Axemen forward Kyle Farrell scored his second of the night when he knocked the puck out of the air and into the Moncton net to make it 3-2.

Farrell added an assist on the power-play when he put the puck back to defenseman Matthew Pufahl who fired a slapshot from the point past Moncton goalie Brandon Thibeau to make it 4-2.

Remy Giftopoulos added his second of the night on the power-play, taking a pass in the slot and burying the puck into the top right corner of the Moncton net to give Acadia a 5-3 lead.

Moncton came within a goal once again near the end of the period when the second star of the game, Vincent Deslauriers, received a penalty shot after being tripped on a partial breakaway.

Deslauriers fired a hard wrist shot that trickled through the Axemen goaltender Dawson Carty cutting the Axemen lead to 5-4 heading into the third.

Acadia added to their lead in the third with goals from Tyler Makin and another power-play marker by forward Chance Braid.  

Axemen goaltender Dawson Carty turned aside 26 of 30 shots on the night while his Aigles Bleu counterpart Thibeau stopped 39 of 46 shots.

The Axemen play again tomorrow night in Halifax against the Saint Mary's Huskies before returning home Fri. Jan. 12 for a rematch against the Huskies at 7:00 p.m.

Submitted by Joshua Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications Office