X-Men hockey fall to Aigles Bleus
The StFX X-Men dropped a 4-2 decision to the Moncton Aigles Bleus Saturday night, their second loss in two days and their fourth consecutive in AUS play.
Moncton, NB - The StFX X-Men dropped a 4-2 decision to the Moncton Aigles Bleus Saturday night, their second loss in two days and their fourth consecutive in AUS play.
The Aigles Bleus got out to a 2-1 lead after the first period as they outshot the X-Men 19-8 in the opening frame.
Maxime Pilon scored midway through the period from Eric Faille and Simon Jodoin, then veteran X-Men forward Murdock MacLellan gave the X-Men a spark just a minute and a half later with a shorthanded marker. Jason Bast assisted.
Allain Saulnier gave the Aigles Blues their one goal advantage with a power play goal at 16:14. Faille and Samuel Groulx were in on the play with the helpers.
The second period brought scoreless action as each team exchanged nine shots apiece.
Danny Chiasson increased the Moncton lead to 3-1 as he scored three minutes into the third period. Subway player of the game Faille picked up his third assist on the night. Pilon also assisted.
Bronson Maschmeyer brought the X-Men closer with a goal at 11:22 from Cole Grbavac and Josh Day but Alex Noel scored the insurance marker for the Aigles Bleus two minutes later.
The X-Men pressured late in the game as they had a 5-on-3 power play opportunity then pulled goaltender Drew Owsley for a 6-on-3 advantage, but the Aigles Bleus held off the attack.
StFX was outshot 38-27 in game. Aigles Bleus netminder Adrien Lemay had 34 saves for the victory. Owsley turned aside 25 pucks.
The X-Men (10-11-3) find themselves in a four-game losing slump and are 3-7 in the second half of AUS play, dropping four of those games by only a one-goal decision.
They will host the Dalhousie Tigers (3-20-1) Friday night, Feb. 7th in their final home game at the StFX Keating Centre. Puck drop is 7:00 pm.
StFX closes out AUS regular season play with three games on the road at Saint Mary's, St. Thomas and UPEI before the AUS playoffs are slated to start the week of February 17th. The X-Men are currently in fifth place with 23 points, one up on Saint Mary's and four back of UPEI.