X-Men earn key shootout victory over Aigles Bleus

The STFX X-Men snapped a three game losing streak with an exciting 5-4 shootout win over the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus on Saturday night at the Charles V Keating Centre.

Photo credit Bryan Kennedy
Photo credit Bryan Kennedy
January 28, 2023

Antigonish, NS - The STFX X-Men snapped a three game losing streak with an exciting 5-4 shootout win over the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus on Saturday night at the Charles V Keating Centre.

Subway Player of the game Matthew Struthers (Milton, ON) had a goal in regulation and another in the shootout, with line-mate Liam Hawel (Arnprior, ON) also scoring in regulation and potting what proved to be the winner in the shootout.

The win gives STFX a 3-2 advantage in the head to head match-ups between the squads this season and sole possession of fourth place in the AUS standings. With only four games remaining, both will be gunning for fourth place as it will mean home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, with both teams guaranteed a spot in the post-season.

Moncton opened the scoring at 7:49 with a shorthanded goal, their fifth of the season, with William Basque (Tracadie, NB), stuffing one home on the assist from Alexandre Couture (Granby, QC). The goal came after STFX goalie Lucas Pfeil (Owen Sound, ON) made a pair of top tier saves. STFX had another powerplay shortly thereafter, and displayed some good puck movement, but weren't able to draw even.

Shots at the end of the period were 10-8 in favour of Moncton as they held the 1-0 lead.

The X-Men were without AUS leading scorer Jacob Hudson (Antigonish, NS) who went down the previous night after taking a puck to the face but is expected back soon. STFX forward Matthew Philip (Ilderton, ON) was also out with an injury.

Moncton's Jeremy Michel (Levis, QC) put his team up 2-0 early in the second, potting one off a scramble, with Jacob Dion (Sherbrooke, QC) and Remy Anglehart (Gascon, QC) getting the assists.

STFX defender Adam Holwell (St. John's, NL), who was named third star of the game, cut the lead in half with just under nine minutes played in the period, firing one home on the powerplay. Zack Trott (Mulmur, ON) and Connor Roberts (Owen Sound, ON) assisted.

The goal invigorated the home team, who pressed for the tie and were awarded less than three minutes later. Struthers fired a puck from the point on the powerplay that found its way into the net through a crowd in front, with Josh Nelson (Lockport, IL) and Hawel adding the helpers.

Moncton's relentless offence put them in front before the second intermission though, with defender Yann-Felix Lapointe (Granby, QC) getting the last stick to the puck off a mad scramble in front of Pfeil, who had already made a couple of saves on the play. Nathael Roy (Levis, QC), who earned the game's second star, and Vincent Deslauriers (Blainville, QC) had the assists on the goal that came with only 26 seconds left in the period.

Shots after 40 minutes were 20-17 in favour of the visitors as they held a 3-2 lead.

STFX came out of the locker room with some fire, and put a few shots on Aigles Bleus goalie Etienne Montpetit (Valleyfield, QC) early. Mark Woolley (St. Thomas, ON) made it a tie game once again early in the third, banking one in from behind the Moncton goal line. Trott and Struthers assisted.

Moncton's Thomas Cusson (Cowansville, QC) scored with just over a minute left in the game, with assists going to Roy and Edouard St-Laurent (Levis, QC). But Hawel tied it up 30 seconds later, with Struthers and Holwell assisting, as the X-Men pulled Pfeil for the extra attacker.

The extra period of five minutes of 3-on-3 action didn't solve anything, despite some key scoring chances from both squads, but particularly from STFX's Hawel and Struthers, though they couldn't solve Montpetit, as the table was set for the shootout.

After Struthers and Michel exchanged shootout goals, Hawel potted one five-hole for the X-Men and Pfeil stopped Cusson. Montpetit made a save on Nelson and Pfeil preserved the win with a save on Dion.

Montpetit had 25 saves in the game while Pfeil had 28 and two stops in the shootout.

Moncton (11-13-1-1) is on the road next weekend to play Saint Mary's (17-9-0-0) in Halifax on February 3rd. STFX (12-13-1-0) is also on the road next Friday, when they will take on UPEI (15-9-1-1) in Charlottetown.

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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics