McCarty delivers in overtime, as Axemen edge out Panthers 5-4

By Thomas Becker

Mason McCarty scored the overtime winner, as the Acadia Axemen snapped a four-game losing streak after defeating the UPEI Panthers 5-4 Wednesday night. 

Twenty-nine seconds into the extra frame, Garrett McFadden found the sophomore forward in the left circle, where he fired a one-timer under Jonah Capriotti's pads. 

"Those are the moments you want to be on the ice for," McCarty said. "You always want to be looked at as one of the guys and I'm glad it went in tonight." 

Acadia (5-9-0) boasted a balanced attack with Eric Henson, Johnny Corneil, Loch Morrison and Peyton Hoyt each scoring goals in the team's first road win of the season. While McFadden and Adam McMaster added two helpers. 

"We've faced a lot of adversity and I don't think our record is indicative of how we've played," he said. "It's been tough, but adversity only makes you stronger. You just have to persevere and keep playing hard."

The last time the Axemen played the Panthers (5-5-3) on the road, they came out flat and lost the game in the first eight minutes after surrendering three goals. Wednesday night's affair was a much-improved effort. 

Still, it was the Panthers who struck first. At 11:29, Kyle Maksimovich sent a pass to Andrew Picco whose shot ricocheted off the end boards back to Maksimovich in front where he tucked it in. 

In the final minute of the period, Hudson Wilson stole the puck from Jordan Maher and got to Henderson, who skated up the left side and beat Capriotti five-hole to tie the game at 1-1.

After a scoreless second, both offences erupted in the third. Penalties haunted UPEI in the period, as their penalty kill struggled to contain Acadia. The first power play goal came at 1:44 when Corneil tipped in McFadden's shot from the point. 

However, the Panthers responded with a goal of their own less than three minutes later when Drake Pilon buried the rebound following Carson MacKinnon's shot in front of the net. 

The Axemen regained the lead at 7:07, as Henson pushed the puck to Morrison, who skated through the neutral zone, used Troy Lajeunesse as a shield and wired a shot past Capriotti glove side. Acadia capitalized on another power play just 1:08 later when McMaster crossed a pass in front to Hoyt, who redirected past the goaltender to make it 4-2.

With more than half a period left to play, the Panthers still had plenty to say. Jordan Maher got his team to within one at 9:35 after he buried the rebound in the open cage following MacKinnon's shot attempt from a tough angle. Then at 12:19, Matt Brassard took the puck off the faceoff draw and wired a shot through traffic past Logan Flodell for the equalizer. 

"Hockey is a game of rollercoasters with lots of emotions," McCarty said. "We took a lead and then they pushed back late. It's important, no matter if you're up, down, or tied, you have to be even-keeled and just play with intensity and passion at all times." 

After surrendering the two-goal lead, their even-keeled approach worked, as they made the Panthers pay for another penalty that came with 59 seconds remaining in regulation resulting in McCarty's eventual overtime heroics. 

The Panthers look to get back in the win column Friday night when they host the Saint Mary's Huskies.

Photo Credit: Janessa Hogan