Axemen post 5-3 comeback win vs Tigers in exhibition play

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – After a prolonged wait – and without the usual deafening fanfare – the Acadia Axemen returned to the Andrew H. McCain Arena for the first time in roughly a year to face off against the Dalhousie Tigers in a 5-3 win.

Despite falling down 2-0 in the first period and a late push from the Tigers, Acadia used their three unanswered goals in the second and beginning of the third to get their first win of 2021.

The Axemen first hit the ice in a 6-4 loss to the Saint Mary's Huskies. This game is part of an exhibition series between the Axemen, the Tigers, and the Huskies.  

The Tigers kicked off the scoring early, taking a 1-0 lead twenty seconds into the period on a goal from Chandler Yakimowicz. 

Yakimowicz scored on a controversial play, as defenceman Christian Huntley threw a puck on net after appearing to step offside. Huntley's shot came to Yakimowicz in front of the net and he tapped it in to make it 1-0.

Dalhousie doubled their lead at 10:22 in the first, when Matt Green notched a power-play marker. Green came into the offensive zone with a burst of speed, took a pass from Campbell Pickard and ripped a shot into the top right corner to make it 2-0.

The Tigers took their 2-0 lead into the second period, while leading in shots 9-7.

The second period saw the Axemen tie the game on goals from two rookies.

Acadia got on the board with a redirection in front of the net from rookie Tyler Hinam at 6:54 of the second period.   

Veteran defenseman Loch Morrison corralled the puck and backed up across the blue-line, where he fired a shot that was by Hinam, who was parked in front of the net, for his first U SPORTS goal.

Rookie Nick Deakin-Poot tied the game near the 3-minute mark in the game in the second period with the first goal of his U SPORTS career. Deakin-Poot took a pass from Cristiano DiGiacinto and came into the top of the left face-off circle where he wired a wrist shot under the crossbar on the top left side to make it 2-2.

Going into the third, the teams were tied as Dalhousie continued to lead in shots 20-19.

Acadia took their first lead of the game at 7:10 in the third when forward Mason McCarty finished a beautiful passing play from Garrett McFadden and Cole Rafuse to make it 3-2 on a quick wrist shot in front of the net.

Although the Tigers were able to make it 4-3 on a power-play goal from Brett Crossley late in the third, their goal was wedged between two rink-length empty net goals from Axemen Jack Flaman and Rodney Southam.

Southam's empty-netter came with two seconds left in the game and sealed the 5-3 victory for Acadia.

Dawson Carty was in the crease for Acadia and turned aside 24 of 27 shots.

Dalhousie split the game with two goalies. Reilly Pickard started the game and turned aside 17 of 19 shots, while his replacement Connor Hicks stopped 7 of 8 shots.

The Tigers went 2-for-5 on the power-play, while the Axemen went 0-for-2 and improved to 1-1 in exhibition play.

Next up in the exhibition series, the Axemen have this coming weekend off and return to the ice on  Friday, March 5 at Dalhousie.

Submitted by Josh Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications