Courtesy of host organizing committee / Photo credit Josh Schaefer

SASKATOON (CIS) – The third-seeded University of Windsor Lancers used two third period tallies to upset the No. 2 Acadia Axemen 4-2 in the Pool B opener Thursday night at the CIS men’s hockey championship at Credit Union Centre.

The Lancers (1-0) take the lead in Pool B and will face the tournament host University of Saskatchewan Huskies Saturday at 7 p.m. Saskatchewan Time (live on Sportsnet).
 
Acadia (0-1) will take on the Huskies Friday at 7 p.m. Saskatchewan Time, with its season on the line.
 
With the score tied 2-2 heading into the third period, the OUA champion Lancers’ power play capitalized 1:07 into the frame on a goal from rearguard Kenny Bradford. Windsor cycled the puck in the Axemen’s zone before Spencer Pommels set up Bradford for a one-timer that beat Acadia netminder Evan Mosher on the glove side.
 
Moments later, Acadia nearly tied the score when Joe Gaynor tipped a centering pass by Windsor goalie Parker Van Buskirk but it hit the post.
 
The Lancers doubled up Acadia at 4:17 of the third on a goal from Mike Christou. The forward received a pass from Richard Cameron in the neutral zone, and streaked down the right wing before beating Mosher through the legs.
 
Van Buskirk had a strong third period making a number of key saves down the stretch.  Bradford was called for tripping late in the game. Liam Heelis, the CIS player of the year, had a great opportunity on the resulting power play when a loose puck careened to him at the side of the net, but Van Buskirk was able to stretch out his right pad and make the toe save.
 
Acadia opened the scoring at 1:19 of the first stanza. Mike Cazzola came fired a long wrist shot that ricocheted off the glass behind the Windsor net and then off the back of Van Buskirk.
 
The Lancers answered late in the first on a goal by Cameron. Myles Doan emerged from a broken play down low and centered a pass for Cameron who on-timed the puck timer over the glove of Mosher.
 
A Heelis tally at 1:43 of the second period gave the Axemen a 2-1 lead. Brett Thompson advanced the puck off the half boards to Cazzola who took the puck to goal line and slide a pass cross crease that Heelis fired into the open net.
 
Windsor tied the game 2-2 at 12:42 of the second period with a power play goal from Drew Palmer. With Colin Archer in the penalty box for slashing, Windsor cycled the puck in the Axemen zone. A centering pass deflected off an Axemen defeceman right to Palmer at the side of the net he put it through the legs of Mosher.
 
The Lancer’s improved to 8-1 in the post season and continued to turn heads. 
 
“Not a lot of people knew about the University of Windsor Lancers before this tournament,” said head coach Kevin Hamlin. “To be honest I don’t care if they know us by name at the end of it but they will know who the Lancers are. We’ve had some lean times through the course of this season but we have battled together and battled through.”
 
“Playing as an underdog team has been working for us all playoffs,” added Palmer, captain of the Lancers.
 
The loss dampened the Axemen’s chances at reaching the championship game but their coach was adamant that the team will continue to play with pride.
 
“We probably didn’t play our best tonight and we got beat by a good opponent. But we will stick together and we will be ready to go tomorrow,” said Darren Burns.
 
Van Buskirk made 25 saves for the win, while Mosher made 24.
 
Bradford was named player of the game for Windsor, while Heelis took the honour for the Axemen.
 
The CIS PotashCorp University Cup presented by Co-op resumes Friday at 1 p.m. local time with the Game #3 between the No.  4 seeded McGill Redmen and the No. 6 seeded Carleton Ravens in Pool A action.

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST PERIOD

1. ACA Mike Cazzola (1) (Liam Heelis), 1:19
2. WSR Richard Cameron (1) (Myles Doan, Isak Quakenbush), 16:52

PENALTIES:

Doan (WSR) high sticking, 10:24.

SECOND PERIOD

3. ACA Liam Heelis (1) (Mike Cazzola, Brett Thompson), 1:43
4. WSR Drew Palmer (1) (Spencer Pommells, Saverio Posa), 12:43 PP

PENALTIES:

Palmer (WSR) slashing, 7:14;
Archer (ACA) slashing, 12:33;
Thompson (ACA) tripping, 12:33;
Lanoue (WSR) roughing, 12:33;
Palmer (WSR) tripping, 12:47;
Anderson (ACA) goaltender interference, 14:35;
Cazzola (ACA) interference, 16:53;
Gibbons (ACA) interference, 19:45.

THIRD PERIOD

5. WSR Kenny Bradford (1) (Spencer Pommells, Saverio Posa), 1:07 PP
6. WSR Mike Christou 1 (Richard Cameron, Blake Blondeel), 4:14

PENALTIES:

Makin (ACA) roughing, 5:55;
Shepley (WSR) holding, 14:34;
Beaton (ACA) tripping, 16:05;
Bradford (WSR) tripping, 19:23.

GOALS (by period)
WSR 1-1-2: 4
ACA 1-1-0: 2

SHOTS ON GOAL (by period)
WSR 4-14-10: 28
ACA 10-13-4: 27

POWER PLAY:
WSR 2-6
ACA 0-5

GOALTENDERS
WSR – Parker Van Burskirk (W, 1-0, 27 shots, 25 saves, 2 GA, 59:56)
WSR – Empty net (0 GA, 0:04)
ACA – Evan Mosher (L, 0-1, 28 shots, 24 saves, 4 GA, 60:00)

PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
WSR: Kenny Bradford
ACA: Liam Heelis

REFEREES: Scott Ferguson, Derek Zalaski

LINESMEN: Mike Roberts, Ryan Lundquist

ATTENDANCE: 2008

START: 7:00
END: 9:20
LENGTH: 2:20

POOL STANDINGS, SCHEDULE & RESULTS (LOCAL TIME)

Pool A standings (after 1 of 3 games) 

GP W L GF GA PTS
1. ALB  1 1 0 3 2 2
2. McG  0 0 0 0 0 0
3. CAR  1 0 1 2 3 0

Pool B standings (after 1 of 3 games) 

1. WSR  1 0 0 4 2 2
2. SSK  0 0 0 0 0 0
3. ACA  1 0 1 2 4 0

Thursday, March 20
13:00 Pool A #1: Alberta 3, Carleton 2
19:00 Pool B #1: Windsor 4, Acadia 2

Friday, March 21
13:00 Pool A #2: No. 6 Carleton vs. No. 4 McGill (www.CIS-SIC.tv) 
19:00 Pool B #2: No. 2 Acadia vs. No. 5 Saskatchewan (www.CIS-SIC.tv) 

Saturday, March 22
14:00 Pool A #3: No. 1 Alberta vs. No. 4 McGill (Sportsnet 360 & www.CIS-SIC.tv)
19:00 Pool B #3: No. 3 Windsor vs. No. 5 Saskatchewan (Sportsnet 360 & www.CIS-SIC.tv) 

Sunday, March 23
13:30 Final (Sportsnet & www.CIS-SIC.tv) 

* The webcasts of the 3 televised games will be on pay-per-view basis.

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