Axemen fall to Tigers in shootout

The Dalhousie Tigers earned their first win of the season with a 4-3 shootout win over the Acadia Axemen on Saturday night in Halifax.  

The Axemen opened the scoring halfway through the first period. Ethan Ernst (Weyburn, SK) found Brady Burns (Port Williams, NS) with a cross ice pass which Burns put home in the top corner of Nicholas Chenard's (Tecumseh, ON) net.  

Dalhousie returned from the first intermission with a fire lit under them. Alec Belanger (Quebec, PQ) pulled the Tigers level just three minutes into the second period off a feed from Evan MacKinnon (Beaverbank, NS).  

Fifteen minutes later the Tigers went on the powerplay and Belanger got his second of the game off a scramble in front of the Acadia net to put the Tigers up 2-1. The second period would end with the Tigers holding their first lead of the season.  

Burns opened the scoring in third frame with his second of the game, banking in his own rebound off a feed from Zach Jones (North Falmouth, MA).  

Late in the frame, Derek Gentile (Syndey, NS) found himself on a breakaway with five minutes left in the game and was able to slide the puck around Thomas Couture (Levis, QC). Minutes later Acadia tied it up again, but this time it was Erst getting his first of the season.  

Neither team could break the tie in the final minutes of the game, forcing an overtime period. After an uneventful overtime period, the Tigers and Axemen went to a shootout.  

The Tigers elected to shoot first, sending Gentile out for the open attempt. Gentile found the back of the net and scored the only goal of the shootout, giving the Tigers a 4-3 win and their first points of the season.  

Alec Belanger was named the player of the game for his two-goal performance. 

The Dalhousie Tigers hit the road next weekend for a New Brunswick road trip, visiting UNB on Friday and the Aigles Bleus on Saturday.  

The Axemen return home to host the UPEI Panthers on Friday at 7 p.m.