Axemen even series with 4-1 win in Game 2

ANTIGONISH, NS - The Acadia Axemen pulled even in their best of three-AUS quarter final series with a physical 4-1 win over the STFX X-Men on Friday night at the Charles V. Keating Centre. 

Acadia opened the scoring 10 minutes into the first period, with Keagan Slaney crashing the net after a shot from Ryder MacIntyre. The visitors doubled their lead three minutes later, as Zak Lavoie knocked one in after a pass from Kidney while the teams played four-on-four. 

Both teams looked to have their playoff helmets on as the hits were hard and often, while the Axemen held the advantage in shots. Lavoie added a beauty of a goal with five minutes left in the second period, stealing the puck from a STFX defender before flipping it to himself and beating Leaver between the legs. 

Ryan McGuire got the X-Men on the board with five minutes remaining in the game, tipping in a pass from Raegan Wiles while shorthanded.  

Brady Burns added an empty netter for the Axemen with 90 seconds left, and the game finished 4-1. Patrick Leaver made 29 stops for the Blue and White, while Thomas Couture had 26 in the win for Acadia. 

Axemen forward Zak Lavoie earned Boston Pizza Player of the Game honours for his two goal performance.

With the win the Axemen force the third and final game of the series, set for Sunday, February 22, at 7 p.m. in Wolfville.

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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics