This past week in the Atlantic University Hockey Conference Moncton continued their early breakaway, the peleton bunched up, and Acadia saw their surprising quest for a win extended.
CIS #5 ranked University of New Brunswick was on the road Friday to Wolfville to renew acquaintances with their rival Acadia and be the appropriate guest for the Axemen's home opener and AUHC championship banner raising ceremony. It was all Axemen in the early going as Acadia had numerous odd man rushes and missed several opportunities to deposit juicy rebounds off UNB goaltender Reg Bourcier (Keewatin, ON) into yawning nets. Bourcier was to continue to be impressive all game. UNB's Darryl Boyce (Summerside, PE) relieved some of the pressure when his shorthanded wrister beat John Ceci (King City, ON) at 9:18. Acadia rookie David Lomas (Burlington, ON) scored his third goal of the season on the powerplay at the two minute mark. Exactly two minutes later it was Boyce again, restoring UNB's lead while the teams were four-on-four. Acadia captain Brandon Benedict (Avondale, NS) tied it again at 16:16.
Early in the third period it was Brandon Roach's (Bay Roberts, NL) seeing-eye shot from the point as the powerplay expired that gave Acadia their first lead. At 7:12 fellow rookie Scott Giles (Toronto, ON) powered through the slot to give the Axemen the two goal lead. From then on the game settled into a rhythm that looked to carry Acadia to their first win until the game suddenly changed with six minutes to go. UNB changed their strategy, threw caution to the wind and started going hard to the net and outworking the Axemen down low and were rewarded when Colin Sinclair (Brooks, AB) banged in a goal from the trenches. Then just 15 seconds later veteran defenceman Craig Perry (Elnora, AB) came in off the point to step into a rebound that slid by everyone and his blast tied the game, and Perry was rewarded with his first goal as a V-Red. With just over a minute to go Paul McFarland (Richmond Hill, ON) ran Boyce heavily into the boards from behind and UNB was put on the powerplay. Amid a flurry of skates and sticks outside Ceci's crease it was Sinclair getting the winner at 19:34, sending the stunned crowd home shaking their heads.
Back in Fredericton, the Tommies took the first period lead against the struggling Dalhousie Tigers thanks to captain Kyle McAllister (Cornwall, ON). Early in the first period Miguel Delisle (Cornwall, ON) was credited with a puck that went off a Tiger defender to give him a powerplay goal and STU a two goal lead. Dal got on the scoreboard at 13:01 when Tom Zanoski (Brampton, ON) potted the powerplay marker. At 4:10 of the third period Dal's Mathieu Melanson (Shediac, NB) tied it up shorthanded. Just under two minutes later Ian Turner (Belleville, ON) scored the go-ahead goal for the Tommies. Later in the period for the second Friday in a row STU's Aaron Molner (Dorchester, ON) faced a penalty shot, but again he was successful in nets. Jeffrey Bateman (Belleville, ON) scored the empty-netter with seven seconds left to seal the victory for STU.
Also on Friday night, it was a back and forth game in Charlottetown as the StFX X-Men and the UPEI Panthers exchanged the lead several times and diminutive Panther forward Chase Gavin (Charlottetown, PE) forced overtime with four seconds left on the clock in regulation with goalie Paul Drew (Merlin, ON) on the bench for the extra attacker. The story book finish didn't continue as X veteran Michael Smith (Hamilton, ON) scored the winner at 3:16 into overtime.
On Saturday the Varsity Reds traveled to the venerable Halifax Forum to meet the Saint Mary's Huskies. The V-Reds were first on the score sheet as Nathan O'Nabigon (Thunder Bay, ON) beat SMU goaltender Brandon Verge (Fall River, NS) with the powerplay wraparound goal. As the first period ended it was Jesse Ferguson (Langley, BC) threading the needle from the point as UNB were all pressing down low on the<