Axewomen to host AUS semifinal on October 16

Antigonish, NS – In a battle for first place in the AUS conference, the Acadia Axewomen fell to the STFX X-Women 21-7 on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams finished the regular season with identical 5-1 records, but the X-Women claimed the top spot based on point differential in their head-to-head matchups. Although Acadia triumphed in their first meeting with a 20-12 victory, STFX's edge in the aggregate score (33-27) over the two games secured them first place.

The Axewomen entered the game knowing a close loss would still keep them at the top, but STFX came out strong, needing a nine-point margin to secure first. Despite an early try from STFX's Janet Kennedy, Acadia's defense held tight, keeping the game close and going into halftime down just 7-0.

Acadia's offense struggled to find its rhythm in the challenging conditions, but they had opportunities, including a missed penalty goal attempt early in the second half. STFX capitalized on their momentum with two more tries in the second half, building a 21-0 lead before the Axewomen answered back. Holly Robinson's try in the 70th minute, followed by Sara Grant's conversion, put Acadia on the board, but time ran out on their comeback bid.

Lauren Deal's stellar defensive effort earned her player of the game honours for the Axewomen, showing heart and leadership in the hard-fought contest.

While this result means Acadia will finish second, the Axewomen are primed for the upcoming AUS playoffs, where they will host the UPEI Panthers in the semifinal on October 16 at 6 p.m. 

The AUS championship match will be hosted October 23 at STFX - also at 6 p.m.