WOLFVILLE, N.S. – It was the end of a seven-game losing streak for the Acadia Axemen (5-9-2) on Saturday night, as they defeated the Moncton Aigles Bleus (10-7-0) by a score of 5-2.
Subway First Star of the Night Merrick Rippon (Ottawa, Ont.) and third star of the night Bailey Peach (Falmouth, N.S.) contributed to their team's offensive outburst with a goal apiece.
Acadia went on an offensive explosion in the first period with three goals.
Eric Henderson (Kingsville, Ont.) and Rippon both scored their first goal of the year in the opening frame.
Henderson took a pass from Jack Flaman (Vibank, Sask.) and chipped the puck over Moncton's goalie Felix-Anthony Ethier (Deux-Montagnes, Que.) in close to make it 1-0.
Rippon doubled the lead for Acadia less than two minutes later on a shot from the right face-off circle.
Corson Hopwo (Duncan, B.C.) potted the third goal of the frame for Acadia with a quick snapshot from the left face-off circle that beat the Ethier glove side.
Moncton responded with a goal late in the period from the second star of the night, Thomas Pelletier.
Thomas Pelletier (Quebec, Que.) got his team on the scoreboard with a power-play marker. Pelletier took a snapshot in close and beat Acadia's Conor McCollum (Pickering, Ont.) low blocker side to make it 3-1.
At the end of the first period, Acadia held a 12-10 lead in shots.
The teams were evenly matched for most of the second period, as they traded scoring opportunities throughout the frame.
Moncton was stronger at the start of the period, but Acadia began to nab more chances as the period wore on.
It was Acadia who found the back of the net near the end of the second period, during a 4-on-3 power-play.
Bailey Peach wired a one-timer into the top left corner of the net, after passing back and forth with Adam McMaster (Beamsville, N.S.), to make it 4-1.
By the end of the period, Acadia had a 24-20 lead in shots.
Each team added a goal to their total in the final frame.
Acadia got a goal from Nick Deakin-Poot (Georgetown, Ont.) after jamming a puck in on a mad scramble in front of Moncton's net.
Moncton added a goal with 15 seconds remaining in the game. McCollum was sprawled out and made a handful of saves before Remy Anglehart (Gascon, Que.) chipped the puck in to make it 5-2.
McCollum stopped 29 of 31 shots, while Moncton's Felix-Anthony Ethier turned aside 29 of 34 shots.
Tonight, marked Acadia's last home game until January. They'll wrap up before Christmas with games on Wednesday, Nov. 30 and Friday, Dec. 3 against the STFX X-Men and Dalhousie Tigers, respectively.
Moncton travels to UPEI on Wednesday night.
Acadia's next home game is Friday, Jan. 13 against the Saint Mary's Huskies.
Submitted by Joshua Foote, Acadia Athletics Communications Office