Cheveldave’s 30 saves help Huskies top Axemen 4-1

(Halifax, NS) The Saint Mary's University Huskies beat the Acadia Axemen 4-1 in front of 575 fans at the Halifax Forum on Wednesday Oct. 19. The Huskies win gives both teams a 2-3 record on the season.

Cole Cheveldave (Calgary AB) was huge in the Huskies win, coming through with several spectacular saves. He ended up stopping 30 of the 31 shots he faced to pick up his first win of the season.

The Huskies had four different goal scorers on the night, as Bronson Beaton (Springhill, NS), Alex Cord (Toronto, ON), Bradley Latour (Barrie, ON) and Taylor Burke (Halifax,NS) all found the back of the net.

Marc McNalty (Medicine Hat, AB) responded for the Axemen.

The Huskies were in penalty trouble all game but were able to kill off all nine Axemen power-plays, including two separate five-on-three opportunities.

1^st

Cheveldave's brilliance started just 4:30 in to the game as he made three huge saves in succession to keep the Axemen from picking up an early lead.

The Axemen went on their first power-play 9:23 in. Brett Thompson (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) had a great chance down low to the right of the net but Cheveldave stretched out his left leg and got his skate on it for the save.

The power-play became a two-man advantage for 1:07 and Cheveldave made another save on Thompson, this time with his shoulder on a shot from the bottom of left circle. A moment later McNalty made a nice toe drag to the high slot and ripped a shot on goal where Cheveldave was there to make the save.

The Axemen then took a penalty giving them a five-on-four for 0:28, which turned into four-on-four action for 0:47 and then a Huskies power-play for 0:45 but neither team could capitalize.  

The Axemen were able to generate higher quality scoring chances in the first and outshot the Huskies 11-9, they just could not find a way past Cheveldave.

2^nd

The Huskies started the second with a bang. They got possession in the Axemen zone off the opening puck drop of the period, Steven Shipley (Ilderton, ON) worked the puck back to Cord on the right point, Cord put a shot on goal and the rebound went straight onto Beaton's stick at the bottom of the left circle and he buried for his first goal of the year just 0:34 into the period.

The Huskies kept the pressure up and Axemen goalie Devin Williams made a string of saves capped by a sprawling effort to rob Anthony Repaci (Toronto, ON).

Thomas Stavert (Kensington, PE) started another Huskies attack by feeding Noah Zilbert who fired a shot off the rush, a juicy rebound off Williams right pad went into the high slot onto the stick of a charging Cord who fired a wrist shot past Williams' blocker to put the Huskies up 2-0 at the 3:02 mark of the frame.

Cheveldave made another big save moments later when Samuel Fioretti (Calgary AB) took a feed from below the goal line all alone in the low right slot and ripped a quick shot on goal.

The highlight of the night came with the Axemen on the power-play. Remy Giftopoulos (Ancaster ON) fired a shot from the left point, Thompson deflected the puck and Cheveldave made the first save, Thompson pounced on the rebound and shot quickly at what looked like a wide open net but Cheveldave lying on his stomach somehow reached out to make an outrageous glove save.

The back end of the second was a penalty filled affair. The Axemen had another five-on-three opportunity go by the wayside.

Williams came up with a highlight reel save of his own late in the period. With the Huskies on the power-play Shipley sent a cross crease pass to Latour who ripped the puck on goal, Williams came across to his left and flashed the leather to make an incredible glove save.

Shots through 40 minutes were even at 20-20.

3^rd

Both teams traded chances early in third before the Axemen finally broke through.

Brendan Childerley (Stratford, ON) did some great work down low battling for and winning the puck behind the Huskies goal, he sauced a beauty feed to McNalty working towards the net through lower right circle, McNalty fired a quick snap shot under Cheveldave's blocker for a 2-1 score at the 4:58 mark of the period.

Moments later the Axemen nearly had a breakaway opportunity to tie the game but a diving poke check by Adam Bateman (Caledon, ON) broke up the chance.

Just after that Thompson got another chance to score alone on top of crease but again Cheveldave was there to make the save.

The Huskies broke the game open in a 14 second span in the middle of the third. Cord went D-to-D to Austyn Hardie (Montreal, QC) in the Huskies zone, who made a great pass up ice to Latour splitting the Axemen D for a blue-line breakaway, the left-handed shot Latour made a slick move to the backhand for a 3-1 Huskies lead at the 10:19 mark.

With the Axemen on the power-play Burke stole the puck for a shorthanded blue-line breakaway, the right-handed shot made a move quick to the backhand and slipped it past Williams for the last goal of the game making it 4-1 Huskies at the 10:33 mark.

The Axemen had another 5:51 of power-play time in the third but could not score again.

Final shots were 31-26 in favour of the Axemen.

Up next:

The Axemen host the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus on Saturda,y October22 in Wolfville NS.

The Huskies go on the road to face les Aigles Bleus on Friday, October 21 in Moncton NB.

By Cam Honey-Webb, SMU Communications

Photo Nick Pearce