Veteran Axemen goaltender Robert Steeves, named the Subway First Star of the Game, registered his first shutout of the year, while Stephen Harper put up two goals and an assist to lead scoring for Acadia.
Despite even play between the two teams early in the opening period, Harper scored the first of five unanswered Axemen goals 5:12 into the first period.
Harper stole the Dalhousie clearing attempt in front of their net and buried the puck low blocker side, giving the Axemen a 1-0 lead and the eventual game winner.
The Axemen added to their lead in the second period, going three-for-three on the man-advantage to take a 4-0 lead heading into the third.
The first came from second-year forward Kris Hodge – his third goal of pre-season play – while Chance Braid scored the second by deflecting a point shot from Harper past Tigers goaltender Corbin Boes and into the top left corner.
With a 3-0 lead, Harper scored his second of the night, this time on a five-on-three power play, ripping a calculated wrist shot past Boes from the top of the right circle with 4:40 remaining in the period.
Acadia once again added to its lead in the third when forward Remy Giftopolous snipped a wrist shot to the top corner.
Three 10-minute misconducts were issued near the conclusion of the game, one of which was given to Axemen defenseman Stephen Woodworth for checking from behind.
Tigers netminder Corbin Boes stopped 25 of 30 shots, while second star of the night went to Tigers defenseman Aiden Jamieson.
The Axemen headed south of the border last weekend to take on the UMass Lowell River Hawks and the UMaine Black Bears before kicking off the regular season at home Oct. 6, when they will face off against the StFX X-Men at 7 p.m.
- By Joshua Foote, Acadia Athletics
