X-Men win overtime game over Aigles Bleus

Photo credit: UdeM Sports Information
Photo credit: UdeM Sports Information

Moncton, NB – The STFX X-Men picked up their second pre-season exhibition victory with a 3-2 overtime win over the Aigles Bleus de Moncton on Friday night.

Freshman forward Connor Roberts netted the game winner, unassisted at 3:03 of the overtime period to lift the X-Men to victory.

Matt Philip opened the scoring in the game for X with a shorthanded marker with just over a minute left in the first period. He picked up a loose puck off a miscue by Aigles Bleus goaltender Etienne Montpetit and potted the unassisted marker.

The X-Men outshot the Aigles Bleus 10-8 in the opening frame.

Moncton tied up the game 8:19 into the second period off an Edouard St-Laurent goal from William Basque feed on a rush up ice, but the X-Men regained the lead when Will Bower scored unassisted at 15:46. He picked up a loose puck in the slot after the Aigles Bleus unsuccessfully tried to clear their own zone.

The 2-1 lead held up after 4 minutes as the X-Men had a 19-10 shot advantage in the middle frame.

The Aigles Bleus again fought back and tied up the game again, this time while on the power play. Alexandre Bernier found the back of the X net with off a nice feed from Edouard St-Laurent as the home team locked the game at 2-2 with just over two minutes to play.

Needing overtime to break the deadlock, the teams had lots of open ice during the 3-on-3 extra frame. X-Men netminder Joseph Raaymakers made some key saves for X then Roberts got the puck off the boards and broke up the wing alone. He deked low on Montpetit's glove side puck and made no mistake in netting the game winner, as his first goal in the X jersey.

Final shots in the game favoured the X-Men at 41-30 as Raaymakers had 28 saves for the win.

STFX will be back in action Saturday night when they host the Saint Mary's Huskies in a 7:00 pm game at the STFX Keating Centre.

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Courtesy Krista McKenna, STFX Sports Information