Axemen end Panthers three game winning streak

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen (5-9-2) snapped their three-game losing skid, and the three-game winning streak of the UPEI Panthers (8-6-1) at the same time with a 5-2 win on Friday night in Wolfville. Acadia won a gritty game that saw the teams combine for 102 penalty minutes.

Despite chances on both sides, it was not until late in the first when Acadia opened the scoring on a goal from forward, and Subway First Star of the Night, Jackson Houck.

Houck picked off a pass from a defender in the UPEI zone and deked out the goalie before sliding it into the net to make it 1-0.

By the end of the first period, the shots were 12-7 for Acadia.

The Panthers responded early in the second with a marker from forward Brent Andrews, who buried a cross-ice pass into the wide-open net to make it 1-1.

Acadia responded quickly with a power-play marker from forward Kyle Farrell.

Farrell took a pass from Houck and lifted the puck over the blocker of the Panthers goaltender in tight to make it 2-1.

Shortly after retaking the lead, Axemen forward Jack McClelland was awarded a penalty shot, which was the first on home ice this season.

McClelland stickhandled on his way in and fired high blocker, but his shot was stopped by Panther netminder Simon Hofley.

With a 24-15 shots on goal Axemen advantage after two periods, the Axemen added to their lead just 18 seconds into the third period, when forward Ryan Foss passed cross-crease to a wide-open Stephen Harper, who buried the puck to make it 3-1.

The Panthers answered with a goal of their own a few minutes later from Filip Rydstorm, who flipped the puck over the sprawling Axemen goalie to make it 3-2.  

Acadia added an insurance marker late in the period, with a wrap-around from defenseman Garrett McFadden to make it 4-2. 

A full line brawl broke out following the goal, which resulted in 50 minutes in penalties, three game misconducts and three more 10-minute misconducts between the two teams.

Acadia capped off the game with an empty-net goal from forward Marc McNulty to make it 5-2.

Axemen goaltender Logan Flodell turned aside 23 of 25 shots, while his UPEI counterpart Simon Hofley stopped 26 of 30 shots.

Following the game, Houck pointed out that the Axemen knew they needed to score first.

"It was important for us to score the first goal. We did a great job with that and we came out with some jump. We outshot them 12-5 or something like that halfway during the first period. I was fortunate enough to get a break and we started going from there," said Houck in a post-game interview. 

The second and third stars of the night were UPEI defenseman Olivier Arseneau and Axemen forward Stephen Harper, respectively.  

The Axemen take to the ice at home again tomorrow night to close out the first half of their season against the UNB Varsity Reds. Puck drop is at 7:00 pm.

Submitted by Joshua Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications Office