WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Four goals in the opening nine minutes of the second period gave the visiting UPEI Panthers an insurmountable 5-1 lead and eventual 6-3 win over the CIS No. 5 ranked Acadia Axemen in the opening game of the AUS quarterfinal best of three series.
The Panthers opened the scoring at 9:35 in the first period when Nelson Armstrong (Peterborough, Ont.) carried the puck over the blueline and fed teammate Marcus Power (St. John's, NL) a high slot pass. Power gained control of the puck and sent it back to Power for an easy tap-in past a sprawling Brandon Glover (Victoria, B.C.).
With a 1-0 deficit after one period, Axeman Mike Cazzola (Guelph, Ont.) responded only 1:16 into the second frame. Cazzola picked up a loose puck along the boards and sent a pin point pass to Brett Thompson who was along in front of the net. Thompson's attempt to score fell short but the puck trickled between the pads of Mavric Parks (Eganville, Ont.), allowing Cazzola to net the tying goal.
Thirteen seconds later, senior winger Cole MacMillan (Stanhope, P.E.I.) scored the first of a three goal onslaught in a span of just over a minute. Panther Craig MacLauchlan (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) picked up a loose puck in the corner and delivered a great backhand pass to MacMillan who tipped it past Glover for the Panther's second goal.
Exactly a minute later after MacMillan's goal, Marcus Power would setup an unattended Brett Andrews (Hunter River, P.E.I.) beside Glover to give the Panthers a 4-1 lead.
Chad Labelle (Calgary, Alta.) would pick up UPEI's third goal in a span of a minute and twenty nine seconds on the powerplay, when he was uncontested following a centering pass by Sam Aulie (Lumsden, Sask.).
At 9:01 of the second frame, Derek Ryckman (Red Deer, Alta.) would extend the lead to 5-1 on a weak shot from the point that was not picked up by a screened Robert Steeves (Moncton, N.B.) who took over for Glover after the Labelle goal.
Trailing 5-1 in the third period, second Star of the Game Taylor Makin (Lethbridge, Atla.) scored his first of two goals on a beautiful pass from Dylan Anderson (Ottawa, Ont.) across the crease.
Makin would score his second goal on a fluke goal from behind the net. With the puck on the back of the net, Makin took a swing at the net which launched the puck upwards and forward off of Park's head and into the net.
In the closing minute of play, Brock Beukeboom (Port Penny, Ont.) netted an empty goal on the powerplay to give the UPEI Panthers a 6-3 win over the Axemen in Wolfville.
Outshot 40-27, the Panthers were able to control the neutral zone and took advantage of two of seven powerplay opportunities. The Axemen were penalized 34 minutes compared to the Panther's 12 minutes. Power was named the Subway First Star of the Game while teammate Nelson Armstrong took third star honours.
Acadia will head to the Island this Friday night as the Panthers host game two of a best of three quarterfinal series in Charlottetown. Game three, if required, will return to Wolfville on Sunday evening