Big second period lifts Panthers over X-Men

Antigonish, NS – The STFX X-Men fell 6-4 to the UPEI Panthers Saturday night at the Keating Centre.

After the X-Men got out to a 3-0 lead, the Panthers scored five unanswered goals and added an empty netter to seal the win. Player of the game and first star Josh Currie scored four goals for UPEI.

STFX scored three goals in the first period within a span of just over three minutes. The third star of the game Ryan McGuire netted a pair of goals, the first one coming at 11:51 off a rebound from a Lucas Canning shot.

McGuire potted his second goal of the period at 14:43, cutting towards the net and tucking the puck in past Panthers goalie Jakob Robillard.

Just 16 seconds later Ryan Struthers made it a 3-0 STFX lead as he rushed up ice with Brandon Casey and scored on a nice passing play.

Despite being outshot 21-12 in the opening period it was STFX who took the lead into the locker room first intermission.

The second period saw the tables turned on the home squad, however, as the Panthers came out and scored four goals in the period, outshooting the X-Men 15-7 in the middle frame.

Josh Currie opened the scoring 3:41 minutes in, then second star Donovan Arsenault tallied at 12:43. Robert Orr scored the game tying goal three minutes later and Currie potted his second of the night with 28 seconds left in the period as the Panthers were up 4-3 after 40 minutes.

Currie then netted an insurance marker midway through the third period to give the Panthers a two-goal cushion.

The X-Men pulled goaltender Jack Milner late in the period and Canning capitalized, scoring with 1:29 left in the game, pouncing on a rebound after Raegan Wiles shot on goal from the point.

STFX again pulled Milner in attempt to tie the game, but Currie scored an empty netter to seal the win for the visitors. Donovan finished with three assists in the game for a four-point night.

The Panthers outshot the X-Men 43-23 as they improved to 16-10-0-0 on the season.

The X-Men drop to 11-12-0-3 and will next hot the ice on Friday, February 6^th in Halifax when they take on Dalhousie.

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Recap courtesy Krista McKenna, STFX Athletics