Huskies Even Series with X-Men

Courtesy Glenn MacDonald, The Chronicle Herald

There will be a fifth and deciding game in the Atlantic University Hockey Conference semifinal between the Saint Mary’s Huskies and the St. Francis Xavier X-Men.

The two-time defending league champion Huskies, in need of a win Sunday night, were relentless in their attack in a 4-1 victory over the X-Men at the Keating Millennium Centre. SMU outshot its hosts 37-17, including 28-14 through the first two periods.

Game 5 of the best-of-five series is Tuesday night at the Halifax Forum. With UNB capturing the other conference semifinal over Acadia, the winner between SMU and X will punch its ticket to the CIS championship. UNB hosts nationals at the end of the month.

On Sunday, Kyle Wharton opened the scoring 14:23 into the first period for the Huskies. Chris MacKinnon increased the lead to 2-0 with a power-play marker 1:42 into the second.

At 4:48 of the final frame, Cory Tanaka made it 3-0 when he scored on a partial breakaway while shorthanded.

R.D. Chisholm put the X-Men on the board less than two minutes after Tanaka’s goal. But Colby Pridham sealed the victory when he redirected an Andrew Hotham point shot on the power play with 7:30 left in the third.

Hotham had three assists in the game.

Neil Conway earned the victory in the SMU goal. Joseph Perricone stopped 33 shots for St. F.X.