Axemen fall 4-1 to X-Men

ANTIGONISH, NS - The STFX X-Men (7-0-2) remain undefeated so far this season after a 4-1 win over the visiting Acadia Axemen on Friday night at STFX Stadium.  

The Axemen came out with some pace in the early moments of the match, taking the ball deep into the STFX end, but STFX roared back down the pitch, with a Logan Rieck (Cambridge, ON) cross finding the head of Kyle Cordeiro (Oakville, ON), but the ball skipped wide of the Acadia net. 

Cordeiro came close to opening the scoring in the 6th minute, but just missed getting a foot to a low cross from Dyan Vil (Ottawa, ON). Vil had a solid chance a few minutes later, but his one-touch shot curled just past the post. 

The X-Men continued to press for much of the first half and were able to find paydirt with a Rieck penalty kick hitting twine at the 15th minute. Vil made it 2-0 moments later, with a first touch chip coming off a great through ball from Nicolas Goldsztein (Winnipeg, MB). 

Samuel Barrowcliffe (Princeton, ON) kept things going for STFX, hitting a high shot from distance into the far corner of the net off a pass from Cordeiro three minutes later. STFX dominated much of the possession in the first 45 minutes, and Isaac VanWychen added another for the blue and white in the 33rd minute, heading home a corner kick from Reick, who was named Gabriel Pizza Player of the Game for STFX. 

Acadia striker Toni Adeoye (Dartmouth, NS) almost put the visitors on the board late in the half, but his shot from in tight went high. Shots on goal at the end of the half were 6-2 in favor of STFX as they held a 4-0 lead.

The early part of the second saw STFX continue to maintain possession, and Myroslav Zastavnyy (Toronto, ON) looked to increase the X lead 10 minutes in, ringing a shot off the inside of the post and out.

Acadia made it 4-1 in the 68th minute, with Acadia player of the game Blaise Mellema (Dartmouth, NS) chipping one in from the top of the 18-yard-box. Zastavnyy had another chance a few minutes later but Acadia keeper Dylan Legere (Upper Tantallon, NS) made a big stop from in close. 

Acadia put pressure on STFX late in the match while looking to mount a comeback, but the X-Men continued their strong play, and the match ended 4-1. 

STFX's Samuel Diltz (New Market, ON) and Cameron Greenlaw (Dartmouth, NS) split goaltending duties making a combined three saves in the game, while Legere made six stops while picking up the loss. 

The Axemen are on the pitch Sunday, October 6, when they will visit the Cape Breton Capers at 3:15 p.m.  The X-Men return to action next Wednesday, October 9, when they host the same Cape Breton squad at 7:15 p.m.

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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics