The future is bright for the 2013-14 X-Men hockey team. Coming off a 16-10-2 season last year, many of the key elements of a team that finished fourth in AUS league play are back, and prepared to improve on their accomplishments.
This year's X-Men team is returning a very productive group. Leading the way will be the fourth year forward Jason Bast (2011 CIS rookie of the year), third year forward Michael Kirkpatrick (2012 AUS all-rookie) and newly appointed team captain fifth year defenseman Josh Day (2013 AUS second team all-star).
Six-foot-one Robert Slaney will wear the blue and white this season after red-shirting last year, coming off a three year professional career. The wealth of talent continues with second year defenseman Bronson Maschmeyer (2013 AUS all-rookie team) and fifth year defenseman Spencer McAvoy (2011 AUS first team all-star). The team is also excited to have fifth year forwards Brennen Wray and two-year captain Murdock MacLellan back in the mix for the X-Men.
Also returning to the StFX line-up in the forward position are sophmores Cole Grbavac, Brad Cuzner, Zack MacQueen, Cory MacIntosh and Steven Kuhn, along with juniors Ryan Fortune, Ted Stephens, and Jarrad Struthers. Local defenceman R.D. Chisholm returns to the line-up for his senior year manning the StFX blue line, as do Derek Claffey and Mitch Taylor.
StFX returns two goaltenders this season in second year netminder Drew Owsley and third year Morgan Clark. Dylan Frank from Truro, N.S. via the Pictou County Weeks Crushers of the MJAHL will handle the back-up goalkeeping duties.
The departure of two players from last year's team (Nick Pageau and Joey Perricone) was met with the addition of two new players. Defenseman Nathan Chiarlitti of Maple, Ont. joins the teams after spending five years in the OHL, two of which he served as team captain in Sarnia.
Blake Gal of Lethbridge, Alta. comes to the X-Men by way of the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, where he played for five seasons with. Both players attended NHL development camps this fall, with Chiarlitti attending Phoenix Coyotes camp, and Gal attending Washington Capitals camp.
The X-Men have posted a 3-3 record in pre-season exhibition play. They were 1-1 at the Acadia Don Wells Invitational with a win over the Axemen and an overtime to loss to Dalhousie. They defeated AUS opponents St. Thomas and Moncton, then lost a pair of games south of the border to Boston University and Boston College. StFX wraps up pre-season play Friday night in Truro, N.S. with a game against Saint Mary's at 7pm. AUS regular season play begins October 18th in Fredericton when the X-Men will take on 2013 CIS champion UNB Varsity Reds.