Axemen get back into win column with 5-2 win over Dal

Wolfville, N.S. – The U Sports No. 4 ranked Acadia Axemen (16-8-2) defeated the Dalhousie Tigers (8-15-3), by a score of 5-2 in front of a home crowd of 1567. A hat trick performance from Acadia forward Boston Leier (Saskatoon, Sask.) and a four-assist night from newly minted captain, Brett Thompson (Sault Ste. Marie), helped the Axemen snap a two-game skid.

Acadia scored the only goal of an evenly played first period, with a marker from Axemen forward, Boston Leier. Leier scored on a rebound off of a shot from Brett Thompson, who moved in from the left corner, and stickhandled around a Tigers defenseman before firing a low shot at Dalhousie goaltender, Jacob Fancy (Lower Sackville, N.S.). Leier, waiting on the right side of the net, dropped to one knee and fired the puck past Fancy.

At the end of the first, Acadia lead in shots 12-9, and held a 1-0 lead.

Leier struck again in the second, with a one-handed shot, while on his knees, behind the Tigers net. The puck banked off of Fancy's skate and went into the net, to give Acadia a 2-0 lead on the power-play.

Less than 30 seconds later, the Axemen put another past Fancy, this time courtesy of Brandon Childerley (Stratford, Ont.). Remy Giftopoulos (Ancaster, Ont.) won the faceoff back to Childerley, waiting at the top of the right faceoff dot, who then fired a hard wrist shot high blocker side on Fancy to give Acadia a 3-0 lead. 

Dalhousie answered back, with a goal of their own, during 4-on-4 play, from defenseman Myles McGurty (Hoboken, New Jersey). McGurty redirected a cross-ice slap-pass from defenseman Jesse Lussier (Petawawa, Ont.), to put the Tigers within two.

At the end of the second, Acadia held a 3-1 lead over Dalhousie and a 20-12 shot lead.

Following a delay that saw Axemen forward, Michael Clarke (Halifax, N.S.) and Tigers forward, Phil Gadoury (Montreal, Que.), ejected from the game, Acadia defenseman Matthew Pufahl (Saskatoon, Sask.) added another power-play goal for the Axemen, to give them a 4-1 lead.

Unwilling to go away, Dalhousie forward, Alex Pawelczyk (Sterling Heights, Michigan), chipped one past Devin Williams to once again put the Tigers within two.

Axemen goaltender, Devin Williams (Detroit, Michigan), turned aside 27 of 29, while his Dalhousie counterpart, Jacob Fancy stopped 26 of 30 shots.

The two teams combined for 102 minutes in penalties. Acadia went 2-for-7 on the power-play for the night, while the Tigers were 0-for-7.

The Subway First Star of the Night honours went to Boston Leier, while second and third star of the night went to Dalhousie defenseman Jesse Lussier, and Brett Thompson, respectively.

Acadia takes to the ice again, tomorrow night in Halifax to take on the Saint Mary's Huskies. They will play the Moncton Aigles Bleus on Sat., Feb. 4. Dalhousie plays again next Friday, Feb. 3, at home, against the UPEI Panthers. Puck drop for all games is 7:00 p.m. 

Source: Josh Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications