Axemen clinch last playoff position with win over Tigers

Wolfville, N.S. – For the fifteenth consecutive year, the Acadia Axemen (8-16-3) have secured a playoff spot, following a 5-2 win over the Dalhousie Tigers (6-20-1) on Wednesday night. The game-winning goal came from forward, and Subway First Star of the Night, Stephen Harper, who potted a power-play marker with 2:49 left in the second period.

Acadia opened the scoring 1:05 into the first, when forward, and third star of the night, Kyle Farrell was sprung on a partial breakaway.

Farrell skated in and feathered a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net to make it 1-0.

Dalhousie responded before the midway point of the period on a goal from forward, and second star of the night, Campbell Pickard.

Pickard, stationed in front of the net, redirected a low point shot over the glove of the Acadia goalie to make it 1-1.

The Axemen took back their lead with 5:26 left in the first on a goal from defenceman Ross MacDougall.

MacDougall came in from the blue-line, stopping at the top of the right face-off circle, where he ripped a shot under the crossbar to make it 2-1.

By the end of the first period, the teams were tied in shots 9-9.

Dalhousie tied the game early in the second period on a goal from Andrew Shewfelt, who picked up a rebound off the pad of the Axemen goalie and buried it into the net to make it 2-2.

Once again, the Axemen reclaimed the lead following a power-play marker from forward Stephen Harper.

Harper fired a shot on net from just inside the blue-line that found its way to the back of the net.

The Axemen added to their lead 36 seconds later, on a goal from forward Cristiano Digiacinto.

Digiacinto received a pass in front of the net and lifted the puck over the right pad of the goalie to make it 4-2.

By the end of the second period, the shots were 24-14 for the Axemen.

Acadia sealed their victory in the final minutes of the game on an empty net goal from forward Cole Reginato.

Axemen goaltender Logan Flodell turned aside 17 of 19 shots, while his Dalhousie counterpart Connor Hicks stopped 31 of 35 shots.

The Axemen take to the ice again at home on Saturday Feb. 2 against the StFX X-Men. Puck drop is at 7:00pm.