WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The Acadia Axemen (7-3-1) had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 4-3 loss against the Saint Mary's Huskies (7-3-1).
Due to suspensions and injuries, the Axemen were only able dress 14 skaters for the game. The Axemen were outshot 48-24 by the Huskies.
"Yah it's hard. They have a good team and they played hard. We took a few too many penalties. It's tough when you are tired," said Boston Leier after the game.
"We never use the excuse of having a short bench ever, so it is what it is. We came out hard and played hard," noted Leier.
Saint Mary's dominated the first period, outshooting the Axemen 17-9 and taking a 1-0 lead into the second.
Huskies defenseman Alex Cord pulled the puck out from the left side of the Axemen net and roofed it over the shoulder of Robert Steeves to make it 1-0 for Saint Mary's.
Acadia responded in the second period with a goal on the power-play to tie the game 1-1 heading into the third.
Axemen forward Kyle Farrell scored on a wrist shot in tight that beat the Huskies' goaltender on the low blocker side.
Near the end of the second, Axemen forward Chance Braid received a 10-minute misconduct for head contact.
Axemen goaltender and Subway First Star of the Night, Robert Steeves, made two outstanding diving saves in the second to keep his team in the game..
Saint Mary's regained their lead early in the third when forward Aaron Berisha scooped up the rebound off Robert Steeves' pad and fired the puck into the open the net.
Answering back a few minutes later, Axemen rookie forward Ryan Foss came from behind the net and tucked the puck past the left skate of the Huskies goalie to tie the game with his second goal of the season.
Acadia took their first and only lead of the game at 10:39 in the third on a shorthanded marker from forward Boston Leier.
Leier came in with Owen MacDonald on a shorthanded 2-on-1 and snapped a low wrist shot past goaltender Eric Brassard into the bottom right corner of the net to take the lead.
Continuing to help his team, Axemen goalie Robert Steeves turned aside a penalty shot from forward Hunter Garlent with 5:17 remaining in the game.
The Huskies tied the game with 4 minutes left to play, when Berisha scored his second of the period.
The Huskies regained their lead with a power-play goal that came with 57 seconds left in the period, when second star of the night, Steven Shipley picked up the rebound off Steeves pad in tight and buried the puck for the game-winner.
Axemen goaltender Robert Steeves played a strong game, turning aside 44 of 48 shots, while the Huskies' Brassard stopped 21 of 24 shots.
Huskies defenseman Alexander Peters was named third star of the night.
The Axemen take to ice again at home on Friday Nov. 10 against the Moncton Aigles Bleus, while the Huskies host Moncton on Saturday.
Submitted by Joshua Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications