Mangan, teammates making most of fresh start in playoffs
By Glenn MacDonald, The Chronicle Herald

Talk about clutch.

St. Francis Xavier sophomore forward Phil Mangan scored three goals — including both game winners — in Games 2 and 3 as the X-Men completed a monumental upset sweep of the top-ranked UNB Varsity Reds in last week’s AUS hockey semifinal.

Mangan tallied twice in the second game of the best-of-five series in Fredericton. And then in the deciding Game 3, he scored with time winding down in the third period to snap a 2-2 tie as St. F.X., which finished 27 points behind first place UNB in the regular season, clinched the series.

"Phil has played very well for us," St. F.X. head coach Brad Peddle said. "He’s contributed some key and timely goals for us, especially in that UNB series.

"When I recruited Phil two years ago, I knew what I was getting. He’s a leader on and off the ice and he certainly brings a presence. He can be offensive and you can rely on him defensively. But above all, he has great leadership qualities."

Mangan is a little more humble when talking about his clutch performance in the semifinals.

"For me, the playoffs are just an exciting time," said Mangan, who led the X-Men in playoff scoring with four goals and five points in five games. "I’m always trying to lead by example.

"To be the guy to get those two goals, it could have been anybody. Everyone is playing a part on this team. Our fourth line scored a huge goal in Game 3 against UNB. It’s just inspirational when everyone is stepping up. It just so happened to be me to get the two winners."

Mangan, who played two seasons in the QMJHL with the Moncton Wildcats and St. John’s Fog Devils before joining the X-Men in 2008, said his team’s recent playoff success hasn’t come as surprise.

St. F.X. entered the post-season riding high. The X-Men were the only team to defeat UNB during the regular season, a 4-3 come-from-behind victory in Fredericton on Feb. 12. The Varsity Reds had entered the game 26-0.

St. F.X. entered the post-season peaking at the right time.

"We went through a slump and adversity in the second half so we looked at the playoffs as a fresh start," said the 23-year-old Mangan. "I knew once we got some confidence, there was always potential for us to do anything in this league. It was just a matter of discipline and every guy buying into Brad’s system. And we’re all having fun out there and guys are feeding off it.

"Beating (UNB) in the last regular season meeting definitely gave us that confidence," he added. "It was such a huge win, especially the fact we were down 3-0 and we came back to win 4-3. I think that opened some guy’s eyes up that we can put together a great game and that they could be beaten. I knew we had the guys and the coaching staff to pull it together to win. It was just a matter of time."

It doesn’t get any easier for the X-Men as they advance to their first conference final since winning the AUS banner three years ago.

They face the defending league champion Saint Mary’s Huskies, who are coming off a 9-2 drubbing of the Acadia Axemen on Wednesday to clinch their semifinal in four games.

SMU scored five power-play goals in Game 4, including four in the first period. Mangan said it will be essential for his team to stay out of the penalty box.

"We know they have a great team and have loads of skill, probably more than people tend to think," said the five-foot-eight, 176-pound centre from Ganonoque, Ont.

"Discipline will be the key factor in this series. They had a whole bunch of power play goals (Wednesday). You can’t shoot yourself in the foot with their power play. They will bury us if we take too many penalties.

"We have to play a similar game plan as we did against UNB. We have to frustrate them. We’re a team that wants to win more than anybody. But we have to remember they are the defending league champions."

The series opens Sunday, 7 p.m. at the Halifax Forum. Game 2 is Tuesday in Antigonish. But then the series takes a sabbatical. With the CIS women’s hockey championship being held later this week at the Keating Millennium Centre, the AUHC final won’t resume until Game 3 on Monday, March 15 at the Forum.

The league winner advances to the CIS championship, March 25-28 in Thunder Bay, Ont.