(WOLFVILLE, N.S.) - The opening game of the Subway AUS men's hockey championship best-of-five semi-final series between the CIS No. 3-ranked Acadia Axemen and the No. 5-ranked Saint Mary's Huskies was decided after two overtime periods.
The Huskies' Francis Menard (Embrun, Ont.) knocked in the game winner just over six minutes into the second overtime period to give Saint Mary's a 3-2 win and a 1-0 lead in the series.
With a 13-8 shots on goal advantage for the host Axemen, neither team could score in the opening period.
Not until 5:39 of the second period on the power play did the game see its first goal recorded by first-year forward Zach Franko (Winnipeg, Man.). It would be his first of two goals for Acadia.
The Axemen lead would hold until just over three minutes into the third period when Huskies' Michael Curtis (Georgetown, Ont.) tied the game at one. Stephen MacAulay (Cole Harbour, N.S.) would give Saint Mary's their first lead of the game only 35 seconds after their first goal.
Franko tied the game with 13 minutes remaining in the final period, eventually forcing the game into overtime.
In the closing seconds of regulation time, Acadia nailed the iron for a third time in the game, falling short in ending the game in three periods.
After a scoreless first overtime period, Menard ended the game with a Huskies overtime goal.
The win marks the third time this season that Saint Mary's has captured an overtime win against the Axemen.
Menard was named the Subway first star of the game and teammate Anthony Peters (Blyth, Ont.) was honoured as the third star for his effort of stopping 29 of 31 shots on net in the double overtime game. Zach Franko was named the second star for his two-goal effort.
The Huskies were 0-3 on the powerplay, while Acadia was 1-3 on the man-advantage. Thirty one shots were recorded by both teams in regulation and overtime frames.
Saint Mary's will return to Wolfville for game two of the best-of-five series tomorrow night. Game three will move to the Halifax Forum on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.
Source: Acadia Sports Communications