X-Men beat Tigers in overtime

(ANTIGONISH, N.S.) - First-year forward Zack MacQueen scored the game-winner in overtime as the X-Men defeated the Dalhousie Tigers 5-4 Friday evening at the Charles V. Keating Centre, snapping a three-game losing skid.

MacQueen's goal came 6:37 into the extra frame after Tigers defenceman Jacob Johnston coughed up the puck in front of his own net and MacQueen was there to pounce on it and score the unassisted winner, his second goal of the evening.

The goal came after a see-saw game that saw the teams exchange leads and the Tigers comeback to tie the game with only five seconds left in regulation.

MacQueen opened the scoring in the game as he redirected a StFX shot on net while on the power play 6:23 into the first period. Bronson Maschmeyer and Jarrad Struthers assisted.

Andrew Langan (from Andrew Wigginton) tied the game for Dalhousie at 14:50 after a scramble in front of the StFX net. The 1-1 tally held after the first period of play as the Tigers outshot the X-Men 15-7.

Both teams were held off the score sheet in the second period and the visiting Tigers held the slight shot advantage at 8-7.

The Tigers took their first lead in the game after Daniel Joyce scored a power play goal 4:54 into the third period beating veteran StFX netminder Joey Perricone between the legs. Pierre-Alexandre Vandall padded that lead to 3-1 less than three minutes later after his seemingly harmless shot handcuffed Perricone and fell behind him into the StFX net.

StFX defenceman Josh Day breathed some life back into the X-Men as he notched a power play goal at 10:11 on a hard shot from the point that beat Tigers netminder Wendell Vye. Nick Pageau and Brennen Wray picked up assists on the goal.

The X-Men then scored consecutive goals only 15 seconds apart to quickly take a 4-3 lead in the game, flipping the momentum. Nick Pageau one-timed a Ted Stephens pass across the slot while on the power play at 14:55, then Steven Kuhn beat Vye on a sharp angle down low. Murdock MacLellan assisted on the Kuhn goal, and Stephens and Day picked up the helpers on Pageau's tying goal.

In a penalty-filled third period, as Michael Kirkpatrick was in the penalty box for X late in the game, the Tigers pulled Vye for the extra attacker. In the dying seconds Vandall fired home the tying goal, his second of the night, on the 6 on 4 advantage with only five seconds left on the game clock. Shea Kewin assisted.

In the ensuing 4-on-4 overtime period, X-Men forward Brad Cuzner had the best scoring chance of both squads as he ripped a puck right on the Tigers net and Vye came up with the big save. Linemate Derek Claffey also had a good shot on net but Vye again held his ground.

Shortly after, MacQueen took advantage of the Tigers puck giveaway in front of Vye's crease and fired home the winner.
Shots were 16-7 in favor of the Tigers in the third period and 6-2 for the X-Men in the overtime frame as Dalhousie outshot the X-Men by a game total of 41-27. Perricone earned the win in the StFX net with 37 saves.

MacQueen was named the Subway player of the game for his two-goal effort.

With the win, the X-Men improve to 5-3-1, while the Tigers drop to 3-5-2 on the season. The X-Men will host the first place Acadia Axemen (7-2-0) Saturday night at the Keating Centre. Puck drops at 7:00 pm.

Source: StFX Sports Information
Photo Courtesy of Bryan Kennedy