X-Men earn 6-5 shootout win over UPEI, drop 6-2 decision to CIS #2 ranked UNB

The hockey X-Men needed a shootout to come out on top of a close game with UPEI Friday night in Antigonish, as they beat the Panthers 6-5. Brett Morrison scored the lone goal in the shootout to clinch the win for X.

The Panthers opened up the scoring in the game with two first period goals off the sticks of Vince Scott and Matthew Carter. The X-Men scored the next three goals in the game to give them a 3-2 lead early in the second period. Goal scorers were Will Colbert (on the power play), Brett Robertson and Sam Roberts.

UPEI fought back, however, as they would do throughout the game, and tied the game at the 13:33 mark in the second period with a goal from Thomas Waugh. Matthew Bragg again gave X a one-goal edge with a late second period goal.

The X-Men increased that lead to 5-3 as Brett Robertson scored his first goal of the game 5:39 minutes into the third period, but the pesky Panthers did not let up. Carter scored his second of the game at 9:51 on the power play, and Greg O’Brien scored the tying marker at 14:29.

The teams remained scoreless for the remainder of the second period and also through the ten-minute four-on-four overtime, despite a power play opportunity for the X-Men in the overtime frame.

In the ensuing shootout, StFX netminder Danny Battochio and his UPEI counterpart Wayne Savage exchanged two saves a piece before Brett Morrison beat Savage for the eventual game winner. Battochio had 24 saves in the win, in the game which saw even shots by both team at 29 each.

Saturday night the X-Men did not fair as well versus the CIS ranked #2 UNB Varsity Reds, losing 6-2 in front of over 1400 fans at the StFX Keating Centre.

The Varsity Reds showed why they are one of the top teams in the nation, firing off five consecutive goals to take a commanding 5-0 lead in the second period. Kyle Bailey and Luke Lynes scored first period markers, while Dustin Friesen, Justin McCutcheon and Jimmy Cuddihy tallied goals in the second period.

X-Men captain will Colbert scored a power play goal with two minutes left in the second period to put the X-Men on the board. Assists went to Sane Roberts and Ryan Desrosiers.  

Justin Dacosta rounded out the scoring for UNB with a third period power play goal, while Sean Flinn scored the X-Men’s second goal, also on the power play, from Colbert and Desrosiers.

Travis Fullerton earned the win in nets for the Varsity Reds, who out shot the X-Men 34-26 in the game. StFX goaltending duties were split between Danny Battochio, who took the loss, and Ryan Aschaber.

The X-Men’s record now stands at 12-9-2 with 26 points, good enough for fifth spot overall, one point back of UPEI and one point up on Acadia. They will travel to Halifax on Wednesday night to face the second place Saint Mary’s Huskies (17-7-0).