The StFX X-Men hit the road this weekend to take on the fourth place Moncton Aigles Bleus Friday night and the eighth place St. Thomas Tommies Saturday night in what is the most important weekend of the season for the blue and white. Currently the X-Men sit just one point ahead of Dalhousie for the sixth and last playoff spot in the conference.
X-Men vs. Aigles Bleus: Moncton has had the upper hand on the X-Men all season long, winning all three games the two teams have played. The Aigles Bleus won by scores of 4-2 on October 28th in Antigonish, 3-2 on November 11th in Moncton and 2-1 on January 27th in Antigonish. This Friday’s game will be held in Moncton.
Key Players: Moncton’s Dean Ouellet is currently tied for third in league scoring with 6 goals and 22 assists for 28 points in 23 games. Eric Faille is also having a stellar season for the Aigles Bleus, totalling 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points in 23 games. StFX forward Jason Bast has been the catalyst for the X-Men, racking up 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 23 games so far this season. The X-Men also get healthy contributions from Bryce Swan, Brett Morrison and Michael Kirkpatrick who are all hovering around the one point per game clip.
Goalies: X-Men goaltender Joey Perricone is seventh in the league with a 3.63 GAA and .873 save percentage, while Moncton’s Pierre-Alexandre Marion is third overall in the league with a 2.91 GAA and 9.16 save percentage.
Game Notes: The X-Men are first in the conference and fourth in the nation in power play percentage, acting as a huge factor in their game plan. Moncton is first in the league in save percentage thanks to Marion’s sparkling 9.16 save percentage. StFX has outshot Moncton in two of the three games these two teams have played but have been unable to solve Marion. The X-Men are in a tough goal scoring slump, scoring only five goals in their last four games.
X-Men vs. Tommies: The eighth place Tommies have had the X-Men’s number from the start of the season, winning all three matchups between the two teams. Three of St. Thomas' four total wins have come against the X-Men. The Tommies won 6-4 on October 29th in Antigonish, 6-5 in overtime on November 12th in Fredericton, and 2-1 in a shootout this past January 28th in Antigonish. Two of the three Tommies wins against the X-Men have come in extra time.
Key Players: StFX's Jason Bast is one of the premier players in this league and his 26 points in 23 games will be counted on heavily against the defensively challenged Tommies. Bryce Swan, Michael Kirkpatrick and Brett Morrison will be relied on for secondary offense, while Jarod Struthers and Scott Brannon will need to set the physical tone. The Tommies are led by Randy Cameron’s 12 goal, 7 assist, 19 point season in 23 games. The Tommies rely on four lines to produce offense.
Goalies: Tommies goaltender Charles Lavigne is eighth overall in the league with a 3.73 GAA and 8.92 save percentage, while Joey Perricone is seventh in the league for the X-Men, sporting a 3.63 GAA and 8.73 save percentage.
Game Notes: The Tommies are last in the league in power play and penalty killing percentage, while the X-Men lead the conference in power play percentage. The Tommies have been able to beat the X-Men this season by playing patient, defensive hockey and waiting for the blue and white to make mistakes. St. Thomas is very well coached with new bench boss Troy Ryan, while goaltender Charles Lavigne has played phenomenal against the X-Men this season. StFX needs to find a way to get out of their goal scoring drought and play a full 60 minutes.