WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen grabbed a 5-4 overtime win over the U SPORTS No. 3 ranked StFX X-Men Saturday night in AUS hockey action.
With 1:44 remaining in the game and a 4-2 lead, the hockey Axemen almost threw away a win. In less than two minutes remaining in regulation time, the StFX X-Men tied the game at four to force the game into overtime.
At 4:42 of the extra period, Stephen Harper was hauled down on a breakaway and the story was written. Last season's top goal scorer for the Axemen made no mistake in ending the game on a penalty shot as he beat Blade Mann-Dixon low on the blocker side.
While the score told one story, the shots on goal told another. The Axemen outshot the X-Men 39-29 and it wasn't until the third period that StFX held that advantage based on several power play opportunities.
The opening period saw both teams exchange goals only seconds after the other scored.
Jordy Stallard scored his first of two goals at 5:51 of the first frame. Forty-one seconds later, Dan Robertson replied on a short-side glove hand shot that beat Logan Flodell.
At the 16:46 mark, StFX took their first lead of the game that lasted 42 seconds. Cole MacDonald scored his first of two goals, beating Flodell from the same spot on the ice as the previous goal, but the blocker side while on the powerplay.
Mason McCarty responded at 17:28 on the man-advantage to tie the game at 2-2 after one period.
A tight second frame saw the Axemen outshoot StFX 11-8 but resulted in a scoreless period.
Stephen Harper netted his first of two goals two-and-half minutes into the final period. Stallard scored his second goal after picking up a turned-over puck deep in the X-Men zone.
With the Axemen holding on to a 4-2 advantage with just under ten minutes remaining in regulation time, Acadia began to lose sight of the lead.
Following a skirmish at the 15:24 mark of the third period that resulted in five 10-minute misconducts being assessed, the X-Men changed the game's momentum.
StFX's Cole MacDonald scored at the 18-minute mark and Matt Needham tied the game at four with eight seconds remaining in the final period.
Forced into overtime, Harper delivered the penalty shot goal to give the Axemen their fourth win in a row. The X-Men drop to 3-0-1 and sit second in the AUS standings, one point behind Acadia who improve to 4-1-0.
Next up on the AUS schedule sees the Axemen travel to Saint Mary's for a Wednesday night game in Halifax. The X-Men will be in Fredericton next Friday night to face the UNB Reds.
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Courtesy Acadia Sports Information