Yakimowicz nets two in 4-2 win over Huskies

Game recap by: Kirk Jessome

(Halifax, NS) – In yet another installment of the cross-town rivalry, the Dalhousie Tigers hosted the Saint Mary's Huskies in Wednesday night action. After giving up an early goal, the Tigers responded with a three-goal first period, and were able to hold the advantage to take the 4-2 win.

The Huskies opened the game with a furious offensive attack with Taylor Burke (Halifax, NS) generating a scoring chance on a cross-crease pass in the opening seconds.

Just over a minute later, the Huskies found themselves on an early power play, and it didn't take them long to capitalize. Calder Brooks (Emerald Park, SK) sent a hard pass across the blue line to set up Dylan DiPerna (Nobleton, ON) who fired the one-timer over the shoulder of Corbin Boes (Saskatoon, SK) to open the scoring.

It didn't take long for the Tigers to answer back with one of their own, breaking out of their own zone, Jackson Playfair (Fort St. James, BC) hit ahead to a streaking Jonathan Cyr (Ottawa, ON) who was able to tuck his shot past Cole Cheveldave (Calgary, AB) to tie it up.

The Tigers continued to apply heavy pressure on the offensive end, putting plenty of shots towards Cheveldave. Chandler Yakimowicz (Kingston, PA) found the rebound of a shot from Aiden Jamieson (Lindsay, ON) bounce right to his tape in the slot, and made no mistake hammering it home. That shot gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead midway through the first.

The Tigers began a trend of average a goal every five minutes in the first period. A man down on the penalty kill, Zachary Taylor (Dartmouth, NS) hit ahead to Yakimowicz on a rush up ice. Yakimowicz broke into the attacking zone, made a move to the glove side of Cheveldave, but crossed back to the opposite side and sent his shot over the pad to put the Tigers up by two.

After an action packed first period, the Tigers went into the first intermission up 3-1.

The play was back and forth throughout the first half of the second period, but no major scoring chances came for either side till a beautiful pass was lifted through center ice to Andrew Shewfelt (Dartmouth, NS) who broke in all alone. Shewfelt stick handled through the slot and tried to lift a back hand past Cheveldave, but the keeper got a piece of it with his blocker and knocked it aside.

After finding themselves having to kill off a double minor, they performed a set-play off the faceoff in their own zone to perfection. Directly off the faceoff win, Taylor Burke broke up the middle of the ice, and Stephen Johnson (Moncton, NB) hit him right on the tape with a pass. Burke faked left before going to the right, and calmly slid the puck past a sliding Boes.

With four minutes to go in the second, the Huskies goal brought them within one, with the score at 3-2.

The Huskies put some late attacking pressure on the Tigers, but they weren't able to find another goal before the period ended as they went into the break with the Tigers up by one.

The Tigers opened the third period well, with Alex Pawelczyk (Sterling Heights, MI) received a pass along the half boards and wired a shot that went bar-down over the shoulder of Cheveldave to put the Tigers back up by two.

The Huskies found themselves with plenty of power play opportunities throughout the game, but the Tigers were doing a great job of clogging the shooting lanes and putting bodies in front to block shots.

The Huskies threatened late with their net empty, but the Tigers once again were able to get bodies in front of shots before they even had a chance to make it to Boes, and they were able to run out the clock to take the 4-2 win.

Chandler Yakimowicz earned the Subway Player of the Game title, contributing two goals, including the game winner.

The Tigers play their next game on Saturday when they host the Acadia Axemen. For the Huskies, their next game comes on Friday when they host StFX.