Mounties clinch playoff spot with win over SMU

Halifax – Tne Mount Allison Mounties rolled into Halifax on Saturday afternoon and picked up a 24-10 win over the Saint Mary's Huskies in AUS football action. With the win the Mounties move to 3-1 on the season and clinched a playoff spot as the loss drops Saint Mary's to 1-4. With only 1 game remaining, the Huskies will not be able to catch either the Mounties or StFX in the standings.

The opening quarter saw both offenses struggle in the face of stout defensive play from both teams, with both teams combining for 7 points between them.  

The Mounties opened the scoring on a 43-yard field goal from kicker James Parker as they moved the ball just into the Huskies end of the field. Parker would go on to put another 3 points on the scoreboard before the end of the quarter, putting the Mounties up 6 -1, after a rouge from Huskies Kicker Ethan Nagler (Winnipeg MB / Science). 

The Huskies offense began picking up steam in the second quarter, lead by a rushing attack lead by the Huskies Offensive line and running back Malik Williams (Ajax ON / Arts), driving the field from their side of half all the way down to the Mounties 14-yard line, before Brett Maisonneuve (Gatineau QC / Commerce) was sacked on second down by Reid MacKay of Mount Allison. From there Nagler would kick his first of two field goals on the quarter, flexing his kicking prowess, tallying two field goals of 27 and 25 yards, respectively, to put the Huskies up to a 7 – 6 lead going into the halftime break.  

The second half saw much of the same as it was a game of field position and a duel of punters. The Mounties moved deep in the Huskies end evened the score on a single on a missed Parker FG to bring the score 7-7. 

The turning point of the game came with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter when Mounties defensive back Owen O'Neal intercepted Maisonneuve and scampered 40 yards only to be stripped by the Huskies Shedler Fervious. The fumble was recovered by Mount Allison's Reece Martin who ran the final 5 yards to the endzone for the score.  With the Parker convert the Mounties led 14-7. 

The Mounties would increase their lead in the 4th quarter when Parker made good on a 32-yard field goal to make the score 17-7. 

Things got worse for the Huskies as a costly interception sealed their fate as Maisonneuve was picked off by Terrell Connell in the Mounties end, who in turn raced 60 yards for the touchdown.  Another Parker convert and the Mounties were up 24-7. 

The Huskies never quit and rallied to score late as Maisonneuve found Liam O'Brien on a 14-yard touchdown strike. Nagler's convert brought the score to 24-14. 

But that was a close as the Huskies would get as they could not mount a comeback late in the quarter. 

AUS Subway Player of the Game was Mount Allison's Daniel Bell who had a strong defensive game with 5 solo tackles and 2 interceptions. 

The Huskies have a bye next week and return to the gridiron October 30 when they travel to St. Francis Xavier to take on the X-Men. 

The Mounties travel to Acadia to battle the Axemen also on October 30.