Liam Heelis has opportunity to score in third

WOLFVILLE, N.S. - The CIS No. 5 ranked Saint Mary's Huskies will advance to the AUS Subway Men's Hockey Championship Final best of three series after edging the No. 8 ranked Acadia Axemen 1-0 in game four of the best of five semi-final series.

The win also earns the Huskies a berth in the CIS National championship tournament hosted by the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Sask. March 14th to 17th. This season two AUS teams will have a chance to compete for the National title.

The Axemen grabbed a win in game one of the series in Halifax but could not pull off a win after the Huskies posted three victories in a row despite being out-shot in two of the last three games.

Anthony Peters was the difference in games three and four, stopping 41 shots in each of the last two games.  Peters was sharp in the closing period, blocking 17 shots on net and registering his sixth shut-out of the 2012-13 season and his first of the AUS playoffs.

The lone goal of the game came after 33 minutes of play when Michael D'Orazio scored on the Huskie man-advantage late in the second period. D'Orazio returned after serving his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and scored six seconds after laying his blades on the ice. Acadia was caught off guard by his return and he squeezed past the responding defensemen.

The penalties prior to the goal were the last assessed by the officiating crew as the remainder of the second and the third frames were tough fought end-to-end periods.

The final period saw over 1800 fans rise to their feet to the cheer on the hometown Axemen. Several opportunities were stifled by Peters' sharp play. Peters was honoured as the Subway First Star for the second game in a row.

On the other end of the rink, Axeman Evan Mosher, named the Subway Second Star, repelled 36 shots including a Huskie high 14 in the second period.

Acadia head coach Darren Burns pointed out that there was not much more to expect from his team. "I was proud of what our team did in the playoffs" said Burns. "The tough part of this loss is that this is one of the most committed, tightest teams I have ever coached. They exuded integrity and commitment. Sometimes a team doesn't get maybe what they deserve".

The Huskies will await the results of the second semi-final series where the UPEI Panthers and UNB Varsity Reds are tied at one with games three and four scheduled this Monday and Tuesday in Charlottetown, P.E.I. The Huskies will appear at the CIS championship tournament, three years after winning it in Thunder Bay in 2010.