Cooper Coats’ two goal performance helped the Acadia Axemen hand host UPEI Panthers a 3-0 loss in the Axemen’s first of two game road trip.
“I don’t know what it is about this place,” said Coats, who returned from injury and played in his first game of the season. “It’s a great start for me, but I really think the lads are going to benefit from this win and bounce back after a tough opening weekend.”
“This win was very important,” said Axemen head coach Findlay MacRae. “There’s no room for error in this league and dropping points while all these teams pick them up is tough.”
In desperate search of their first win, it didn’t take long for the Axemen to make an impact. Just four minutes in, Travis Fenning came in from the left side, dribbled his way past defenceman Ben Keefe and fired a shot past Brett Strba in the top right corner.
At halftime, Coats got the nod from his coach and immediately made his presence felt. On a set play in the 51st minute, Coats redirected a volley from his teammate and headed it past the goaltender for the 2-0 advantage.
The Axemen added the third and final goal at the 73rd minute, when Coats skipped a shot past the Panther keeper for his second goal of the match in the 3-0 victory.
In the second of a two-game weekend on the road, the Axemen hit the ground running with an early 3-0 lead in the first 20 minutes of the game against the host Mount Allison Mounties.
The Mounties eventually settled into the game and senior Jaryd Morrissey scored his first goal of the season and his first of two goals in the 28th minute taking the teams to halftime.
The scored remained 3-1 until the 58th minute. First year Axeman Coleman Hooper added two goals shortly after the 58th minute. Morrissey netted his second and final goal for the Mounties.
Zach Visser, Cooper Coats and Hooper again added goals for an 8-2 final. Hooper notched a hat-trick, while teammate Cooper Coats had two goals.
The Axemen head to Cape Breton this Friday evening for a single game against the Capers and then return home to host Moncton on Sunday, September 24 starting at 3:15 p.m. The Mounties remain winless and Acadia improves to 2-1-1.
