By Mark Moffat

In AUS men's hockey action at the Halifax Forum, the Acadia Axemen defeated the Dalhousie Tigers 3-1 in a game where quality chances were hard to come back. 150 spectators were in attendance.

The first period saw a high pace of play that would persist throughout the game, but good chances were not as easy to attain. Dalhousie got on the board first when Mike Evelyn (Ottawa, ON) put a great wrist shot from the high slot into the net at 15:11 to make it 1-0. The speed was still there, but no goals came of it as the first period ended with a 1-0 Tigers lead.

In the second period, Acadia struck back when Samuel Fioretti (Calgary, AB) knocked it in off a slight scramble in front of the Dalhousie net at 2:58 on the powerplay to tie it up at 1-1. The Axemen took the lead when Kyle Farrell (Howie Corner, NS) shot it in from right in close at 9:08 to make the score 2-1. It looked like Acadia would get another one, but Dalhousie put together a fantastic kill of a two minute 5 on 3, which even included a Tigers breakaway, to keep it to within one. That wouldn't last long as Subway Player of the Game Marc McNulty (Medicine Hat, AB) scored off a shorthanded 2 on 1 at 17:08 to give the Axemen a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.  

As the third period got underway, the intensity that was present from the start was still there, now with very audible verbal jabs as emotions were running high. The best chance came when an Acadia point shot hit the post and stayed out with about six minutes left in regulation. The Axemen kept their defence tight down the stretch, as they have for most of the game, and got the victory.

The Axemen outshot the Tigers 27-26. Robert Steeves (St. Joseph-de-Kent, NB) made 25 saves for the Axemen, while Corbin Boes (Saskatoon, SK) stopped 24 shots for the Tigers.

The Axemen play next on Friday against the UPEI Panthers at 7 in Wolfville, while the Tigers next face the StFX X-Men on Wednesday at 7 at the Forum.