Saturday, February 25, 2006

So long, SMU: Axe advance

Matthew Wuest  The Daily News

OH BOY: Huskies coach Paddy Flynn (behind) and his players react in the final seconds of their playoff elimination against Acadia last night at the Forum. (Photo: MIKE DEMBECK)

Tomorrow will come for the Saint Mary's Huskies, but it won't include a return trip up Highway 101 to Wolfville.

The Huskies were eliminated from the men's Atlantic Universities Hockey Conference playoffs last night, falling 5-2 to the Acadia Axemen before a crowd estimated at 2,500 at the Halifax Forum.

Acadia swept the best-of-three semifinal series 2-0 and advanced to the final against the New Brunswick Varsity Reds.

Saint Mary's deserved full marks for its effort, but Acadia's impressive speed and depth proved too strong.

"We've been getting goals from each line," said Axemen first-year winger Blair Jarrett.

"That's one of the things we've had going for us - our depth - and it really helped us this series."

The catalyst for the Axemen - again - was Jarrett's red-hot line featuring Matt Quinn and Andrew Bergen.

The unit teamed up for back-to-back goals that broke a 1-1 tie and gave Acadia a 3-1 lead early in the second period.

Quinn, who had three goals in the series, scored at 7:42 of the first period, while Jarrett scored the eventual winner at 9:28 of the second.

"They've been setting the tone for us and they've been a model line," said Axemen head coach Darren Burns.

"It's all about work ethic, speed and energy, and that's what those guys are all about."

Suspended

The odds were against the Huskies from the start, without head coach Trevor Stienburg behind the bench.

The ninth-year bench boss received a one-game suspension on Thursday after being handed a game misconduct at the end of Game 1.

Stienburg looked on from several locations, and appeared relatively calm - at least outwardly - given the circumstances.

Assistants Paddy Flynn and J.P. MacCallum ran the bench, while injured forward Jordan Chomack stood in for support.

In the aftermath, the Huskies weren't dwelling on Stienburg's absence.

"Acadia had a lot more jump ... Every period this series, they came at us hard," said Huskies fourth-year captain Andrew Carver.

"They've got a lot of talented players, a great coach, and they played an awesome series. They were a step ahead of us."

The Huskies started third-year goalie Cory Roberts for the first time in the post-season and the first time since Feb. 10.

Graduating David Chant sat on the bench after allowing eight goals in Game 1.

Roberts surrendered two goals on six shots in the opening period and finished the night with 22 saves.

Acadia's John Ceci stopped 28 shots and made several big saves late in the second and in the third to preserve the lead.

The best-of-five final between the Axemen and V-Reds is tentatively scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

The Huskies will lose five players next season - Carver, Chant, top scorers Ryan Lauzon and Brad Self and forward Gordon Bell.