X-Men handle Panthers 8-3

Antigonish, NS—In the final home game before the Christmas break, the U SPORTS No. 5 ranked StFX X-Men avenged a big loss earlier in the season beating the UPEI Panthers 8-3 at the Charles V. Keating Centre Friday evening. 

It was a back and forth start to the first period with each team creating chances.  

The X-Men got on the board with just over six minutes gone in the first. After a face off in the StFX end, Dallas Farrell (Cardigan, PE) knocked the puck over to Zack Trott (Mulmur, ON) who skated to the UPEI blue line before passing to Josh Nelson (Lockport, IN), who beat the UPEI goalie to open the scoring. 

With just over 54 seconds left in the first, the Panthers tied it up with TJ Shea (Tignish, PE) making a pass in front of the X net that banked in off a defender.  

Shots at the end of the first were 14-12 in favour of X with the game knotted 1-1. 

The X Men didn't let the late goal deter them though, as they unleashed for seven goals in the second period. 

With 1:29 gone in the second, they regained the lead. Matthew Phillip (Ilderton, ON) picked the puck up just outside the Panthers blue line, skated in, and made a tape-to-tape pass to Jacob Hudson (Antigonish, NS), who made no mistake.  

Just over a minute later, Trott put the home team up by two. William Thompson (Fredericton, NB) hit Trott at the blue line with a long pass from his own end, and Trott cut to the middle of the ice and buried a high wrister. 

UPEI cut the lead to one with a little over 11 minutes to play in the second. While on the power play, Carson MacKinnon (Summerside, PE) fired a screened shot into the short side of the X net, with the assist coming from Matt Brassard (Barrie, ON). 

Then X pulled away.  

It started with a power play tally at the 13:32 marker, with  Phillip getting his first of the night off a scramble in front of the UPEI net. Hudson and Matthew Struthers (Milton, ON) had the assists 

Just 11 seconds later, Liam Hawel (Arnprior, ON) picked up the puck deep in the UPEI end and put it low for a goal.   

Eighty seconds after that, Connor Roberts (Owen Sound, ON), scored again for X off another scramble, with assists going to Sam Allison (Cole Harbour, NS) and Conner Bruggen-Cate (Langley, BC).  

Later, in the dying seconds of an X power play, Phillip potted his second of the night. Struthers fired a sweet pass to Declan Smith (Antigonish, NS), who crossed in front of the UPEI net before finding an open Phillip for the tap in.   

The X Men struck again late in the period, with Adam Holwell (St. John's, NL) scoring off a rebound from Hudson. Struthers had the other assist, making the score 8-2 going into the dressing room.  

Shots at the end of the second were 28-22 in favour of X. 

UPEI came out flying in the third but were unable to break the X defence until 13:24 left to play. Drake Pilon (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) found the back of the net off a rebound, with assists going to Troy Lajeunesse (Niagara Falls, ON) and Conor MacEachern (Charlottetown, PE).  

Shots at the end of the game were 43-34 in favour of UPEI, thanks to 21 shots in the third period. Joseph Raaymakers (Chatham, ON) had 40 saves on the night for the X Men while UPEI goalie Lucas Fitzpatrick (Lower Sackville, NS) had 26 saves.  

Hawel was named third star of the game, Hudson was second star and Phillip was named first star and Subway player of the game with a pair of goals and an assist for the X-Men. 

After the game, Phillip said there were a lot of factors that helped his team avenge the 9-1 drubbing they took against UPEI earlier in the month.  

"We competed this time and we were ticked off from the last time we played them obviously," said Phillip. "It all added together. We have one more game on the road, a nice Christmas break, and then we'll get back at it in the second half of the season." 

When asked about the offence the X Men displayed in the second, Phillip said the StFX lineup is deadly.  

"It showed out there tonight and we have to give credit to our hard work and consistency out there," he said.  

UPEI now heads to Halifax to take on the Dalhousie Tigers Saturday evening, while StFX will be on the road on Wednesday to face off with the Saint Mary's Huskies.

Recap: Matt Draper, STFX Sports Information

Photos: Bryan Kennedy