Huskies take game 3 with 4-0 win over X-Men

(Halifax, NS)  The fourth seeded Saint Mary's Huskies defeated the second seeded St. Francis Xavier X-Men 4-0 in game three of their AUS men's hockey best of five semifinal series Monday night at the Halifax Forum to make the series 2-1. 

The Huskies wasted little time getting on the board first when Stephen Gillard (St. Johns, NL) scored off a screened point shot at 1:51 to make it 1-0. Saint Mary's increased their lead when Subway player of the game Francis Menard (Embrun, ON) tallied off a partial break at 4:42 to make it 2-0. The Huskies kept it up with little time to spare when Bradley Greene (Tilting, NL) potted a marker from the circle that just squeaked through at 19:53 to give Saint Mary's a 3-0 lead after the first period. In the second period, the Huskies struck again when Menard got his second off a nice backhand in close at 7:10 to make 4-0 after two periods. There was no scoring in the third, but that didn't stop either team from keeping up the speed and intensity present the entire game. For the X-Men, Nathan Chiarlitti (Maple, ON) and Eric Locke (Toronto, ON) led their team with four shots on goal.

The X-Men outshot the Huskies 28-21. Cole Cheveldave (Calgary, AB) made 28 saves to get the shutout and the win for the Huskies. Drew Owsley (Lethbridge, AB) stopped 17 shots in goal for the X-Men.

The X-Men will have another opportunity to clinch the series when they visit the Huskies again in game four on Wednesday at 7:00 pm at the Forum. 

Source SMU Communications, photo Nick Pearce