X-Men take Game 1 of quarterfinals with big 4-1 road win over Acadia

Wolfville, NS – The STFX X-Men took advantage of a three-goal first period to build up an early lead and they never looked back as they defeated the Acadia Axemen 4-0 in Game 1 of the Bell AUS quarterfinal series.

After fighting off an Axemen power play - with a couple keys saves by X-Men netminder Patrick Leaver - the X-Men capitalized on their own man-advantage at 8:36 of the first period. On the rush into the Acadia zone, Logan Chisholm made a quick pass to Logan O'Neil who dished the puck to Lucas Canning and he sniped a shot past Logan Couture in the Axemen net.

Acadia's best chance came with eight minutes left in the period when Brady Burns hit the crossbar.

The Axemen went on a four-minute power play, but it was STFX who cashed in as Charlie Callaghan picked up a broken Acadia pass then sent Ryan McGuire in alone on a breakaway, and he beat Couture low under the pads while shorthanded.

Callaghan then assisted on the third X-Men goal with only 11 seconds left in the period. His shot from the point was deflected in front by McGuire and Raegan Wiles was on the doorstep to knock the rebound in.

The X-Men outshot the Axemen 15-8 in the opening period as the home team was left stunned heading into the locker room for intermission.

Matt Cato made it a 4-0 STFX lead at 10:47 of the second period as he picked off a misplayed puck inside the Acadia zone and ripped a shot past Couture, unassisted.

Acadia finally broke the goose egg five and a half minutes into the third period as Zak Lavoie jumped on a loose puck in the X-Men end and netted their first goal of the night.

Leaver continued to come up big for the X-Men, posting key saves on an Acadia power play midway through the period. The Axemen were 0-5 on the man advantage.

Despite increased physicality and some tempers boiling over resulting in more penalty minutes in the third period, the X-Men held on for the 4-1 win.

X-Men forward Lucas Canning was named the Boston Pizza Player of the Game.

Leaver had 30 saves in the X net for the win as the X-Men take a 1-0 series lead and look to close out the best-of-three series on home ice.

Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night, February 20^th at 7:00 pm in Antigonish at the STFX Keating Centre. Game 3, if necessary, will be back in Wolfville on Sunday night.

This season marks the fourth consecutive year that STFX and Acadia have faced off in the quarterfinal series.

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Recap courtesy Krista McKenna, STFX Athletics]