Mounties Lose to StFX But Clinch First Place and Will Host the 2015 Subway AUS Loney Bowl
The final week of the AUS regular season provided a showdown for first place and the game did not disappoint, with the visiting StFX X-Men coming away with a 24-18 win at Mount Allison. Both teams finish the season with 5-3 records but the Mounties have clinched first place on point differential. The Mounties will now host the 2015 Subway AUS Loney Bowl at Alumni Field on Saturday, November 14th at 2PM. StFX finishes 2nd and will host the Acadia Axemen in the AUS Semi-Final game next Saturday, November 7th.
StFX opened the scoring half way through the 1st quarter when Jonathan Heidebrecht recorded a single point off a missed field goal. The Mounties responded on their next drive, marching 75 yards before freshman Josh Hicks caught a 13 yard touchdown pass from Brandon Leyh. This is the 2nd straight week Hicks has had a touchdown reception. The Mounties extended their lead to 9-1 when StFX conceded a safety late in the 1st quarter.
The lead became 12-1 for the Mounties when Ryan Lambert struck from 30 yards out. Heidebrecht then kicked consecutive field goals for the X-Men from 27 and 40 yards to bring the score to 12-7 with 6 minutes remaining in the half. Lambert, the AUS points leader, hit from 27 yards out with 2 minutes remaining to extend the lead to 15-7 for the Mounties. Heidebrecht collected another single point to leave the score at 15-8 at halftime.
Ryan Lambert kicked his third field goal of the afternoon from 32 yards out to give the Mounties an 18-8 lead with 5 minutes to play in the 3rd quarter. Lambert finished the season with 22 field goals, a Mounties school record and 1 short of the AUS record of 23 field goals. Heidebrecht hit from 21 and 43 yards to trim the lead to 18-14 and then a Mount Allison conceded safety brought the score to 18-16 with six minutes remaining. StFX took the lead two minutes later when Ashton Dickson score from two yards out. With a successful two point conversion the X-Men went ahead 24-18. This is how the game would end, giving the X-Men the win, but the Mounties first place.
Brandon Leyh was 17 of 32 for 166 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Quinn LeBlanc rushed for 87 yards on18 carries while Josh Hicks led all Mounties receivers with 6 catches for 68 yards. For the X-Men Tivon Cook was 19 of 32 for 235 yards. Ashton Dickson had 41 carries for 228 yards and 1 touchdown while Donald Tabor had 8 catches for 99 yards.
Because the Mounties beat StFX 27-17 on October 10th, the X-Men needed to win by 11 points or more to finish 1st in the AUS. The Mounties will now host the Subway AUS Loney Bowl for the 2nd straight year. It will be the 3rd year in a row that the 2-time defending champions will play in the Subway AUS Loney Bowl.