No. 8-ranked Axemen wrap up regular season with 8-5 win over Tigers

(WOLFVILLE, N.S.) - The CIS No. 8-ranked Acadia Axemen finished wrapped up their regular season in style, knocking in four unanswered goals in the third period to skate away with a 8-5 win over the Dalhousie Tigers.

The Tigers took at 2-0 lead 14 minutes into the first period with goals by Francois Gauther and Kendal MacInnis, but Wolfville, N.S., native K.C. Brown tapped in his second of the season with less than two minutes remaining in the opening period to narrow the lead to one.

Two minutes into the second frame, Liam Heelis scored his first of a two-goal night to tie the game at two. Second year forward Dustin Ekelman netted his ninth of the year to give Acadia their first of three leads.

The Tigers were quick to respond with Andrew Langan tying the game at three at the 5:26 mark of the second period.

But before the period could end, blueliner Chris Owens scored on the man advantage to give Acadia a 4-3 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the period. Gauthier scored his second of the night, 22 seconds later, to tie the game at four after two periods.

The Tigers opened the final frame with quick goal 21 seconds into play by Benjamin Breault - his sixth of the season.

Four minutes into the last period, Alex Beaton opened the flood gates that would spearhead four third period Acadia goals. Heelis added his second of the night and his tenth of the regular season, while graduating seniors Spencer Jezegou and Andrew Clark capped their last regular season off with a goal each to give Acadia a 8-5 win.

The Acadia win, combined with a UPEI win over St. Thomas and Moncton's loss to UNB, gives Acadia a third place finish, setting up a quarter-final series match-up with the sixth seeded Moncton Aigles Bleus.

Moncton finished the season with a 12-10-6 record. Head-to-head this season, the Aigles Bleus and Acadia split the season series 2-2. The Axemen posted two wins against Moncton in the first half of the season and lost two close games in 2013.

The best-of-three series is set to open Wednesday night in Wolfville, N.S., at 7pm.

In the second quarter-final series, fourth-seeded StFX will host the fifth place UPEI Panthers. Both UNB and Saint Mary's will await the results for the setup of the semifinal series.

Source: Acadia Sports Information