CIS No. 4 Axemen rebound with 8-3 win over Tommies

(WOLFVILLE, N.S.) - It was a game of big hits and lots of goals as Acadia looked like a completely different squad than one night ago when they hosted the UPEI Panthers.

This was the fourth and last time both teams would meet with the Axemen winning all of the previous three matches, out-scoring the Tommies 19-4.

Eight different players scored for Acadia in his high-scoring affair, with Acadia's special teams converting four of five man-advantage opportunities to goals.

Acadia's first line of Mike Cazzola, Brett Thompson, and captain Liam Heelis took control of the game, combining for a total of nine points (three goals and six assists).

Brett Thompson opened the scoring on the power-play, going in-between the legs of Tommies goaltender Jonathan Groenheyde.

Michael Clarke followed four minutes later with his tenth goal of his rookie season.

AUS leading goal scorer Liam Heelis scored on a power move, shooting in from below the goal line, cutting out front and stretching past a sprawled Groenheyde.

St. Thomas's Alex St. Arnaud started in between the pipes in the second frame, replacing Groenheyde. The second period continued in Acadia's favour, with the Axemen opening the second period again on the power-play, this time on a 5-on-3 advantage.

The goal came on a textbook play by opening up a shooting lane that allowed Chris Owens to deliver a one-timed slap shot to the top corner.

Mike Cazzola scored moments later on the second half of the power-play. Teammate Chris Owens skated around the net and sent a "no look" backhand pass out in front, giving Cazzola the entire net as an option to score.

Just over two minutes later, first-year forward Taylor Makin, who returned from injury this weekend, scored his first goal of the season.

Tommie Stephen Sanza replied to six unanswered goals on the power-play. Sanza assisted on the Tommies' second goal of the night by skating up the wing and offering a diving pass to linemate, Randy Cameron who beat a sliding Evan Mosher.

Geoff Schemitsch scored his first goal of his rookie season on the man-advantage by tossing a floater at the net, beating a screened St. Arnaud.

Hometown favourite K.C. Brown scored a spectacular goal by spinning off of a St. Thomas defender and taping in a pass from weekend standout Taylor Makin.

Yuri Cheremetiev added a third Tommies goal early in the third to close the gap to five goals.

The Axemen head to Halifax this Friday, Feb. 7 night to take on the Saint Mary's Huskies in their last road game and then begin a three-game home stand to finish the season on Feb. 8 against the last-place Dalhousie Tigers.

The Tommies next take to the ice that same evening as they host the UNB Varsity Reds. Puck drop in both games is set for 7 p.m.

Source: Mitchel Racine for Acadia Sports Information