U SPORTS No. 5 Axemen edge past feisty Mounties

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Cole Estabrooks' 46-yard rushing touchdown with 5:53 remaining in the game earned him the AUS Subway Player of the Game honours. Estabrooks' timely major gave the Axemen a 22-15 lead in the closing minutes of the game and the eventual win over the visiting Mount Allison Mounties.

While Estabrooks only carried the ball four times for 64 yards including his 46-yard turning-point touchdown, his play was instrumental in giving the Axemen the win.

The Mounties conceded the ball in the end zone at the eight-minute mark of the first quarter to give the Axemen a 2-0 lead.

A six yard pass from Hunter Guenard to Ethan Kimura for the first touchdown of the game gave the Axemen an early 9-0 lead. Guenard's pass capped a 10 play, 74-yard drive.

Ben George nailed a 32-yard field goal to push the Axemen lead to 12-0 at the start of the second quarter.

Mount Allison finally broke the goose egg on a missed 32-yard field goal attempt by James Parker early in the third quarter.

The Mounties would fumble a Ben George punt on the following Acadia drive to give the Axemen field position on the Mount Allison 10 yard line. Acadia quickly converted the turnover after being denied their second major of the day, into an easy 17-yard field goal by George.

Down 15-1 heading into the final frame, the Mounties mounted an opening final quarter drive that began on their own 28-yard line and concluded with a David Patry five-yard pass to Josh Hicks for Mount Allison's first touchdown of the day.

An Axemen nine-yard punt theirs in the Acadia zone set up a three-play, 41-yard drive that concluded with a Robert Walker rush for 8 yards, tying the game at 15-15.

Starting at their own five-yard line, the Axemen drove the field to the Mounties' 46-yard line where Estabrooks got the crowd of 1600 strong on their feet cheering as he rushed for the end zone.

With a 22-15 lead and just under six minutes remaining in the game, Mount Allison was unable to tie the game. A 51-yard drive by the Mounties was ended on a Brett Switzer interception that sealed the win with just over a minute remaining in the game.

Acadia's Dale Wright posted a game-high 130 yards on the ground while Mountie Josh Hicks pulled in a game-high 101 yards on six receptions.

The Axemen edged the Mounties in net offense 378 to 316, but sophomore Mountie pivot David Patry outgunned Hunter Guenard with 202 yards in passing compared to Guenard's 177.

The Axemen improve to 4-0 and continue to hold on to first place in the AUS standings.

Falling short in topping the U SPORTS No. 5 ranked Acadia Axemen, the Mount Allison Mounties are winless after four games. Mount Allison will host StFX next Saturday afternoon, while the Axemen will regroup and travel to Lennoxville, Que. to take on the host Bishop's Gaiters.