Axewomen advance to AUS championship against STFX

WOLFVILLE – The Acadia Axewomen trailed a pair of times in the opening half of Wednesday's AUS semifinal, but were able to overpower the UPEI Panthers en route to a 36-21 victory.

Charlotte Branchflower (Halifax, NS) opened the scoring with a penalty goal in the eighth minute. Sarah Gunn (Scotsburn, NS) scored a try, with a Sarah Grant (Melrose, NB) convert to put Acadia ahead 7-3 in the 17th minute.

Branchflower kicked two more penalty goals in the opening half to regain the lead at 9-7, but that was the last time the Panthers held the lead in the match as Acadia opened up a 17-9 lead by halftime.

Ebehiremen Otoikhine (Calgary, AB) added to the Axewomen lead, their biggest of the match just seven minutes into the second half. The teams then traded trys for the remainder of the game as Emma MacLean's (Cole Harbour, NS) try for UPEI was matched by Jenna Gallant (Valley, NS) before Emily Duffy's (Saint John, NB) try was countered by Juliette Matsukubo (Ottawa, ON).

Matsukubo led the Acadia offence with 10 points, while Branchflower led UPEI with 11.

Next Wednesday the Axewomen travel to Antigonish to face STFX in the AUS championship game, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. The champion will advance to the U SPORTS championship, hosted by UPEI from October 30 to November 3.

SCORING SUMMARY 
ACA: 17-19: 36 
STFX 9-12: 21

1st HALF 
UPEI – Charlotte Branchflower penalty goal, 8th minute

ACA – Sarah Gunn try, 17th minute (Sara Grant convert)

UPEI – Charlotte Branchflower penalty goal, 24th minute

UPEI – Charlotte Branchflower penalty goal, 31st minute

ACA – Holly Robinson try, 37th minute

ACA – Juliette Matsukubo try, 40th minute

2nd HALF 
ACA – Ebehiremen Otoikhine try, 47th minute (Sara Grant convert)

PEI – Emma MacLean try, 53rd minute (Charlotte Branchflower convert)

ACA – Jenna Gallant try, 64^th minute (Sarah Grant convert)

PEI – Emily Duffy try, 69th minute

ACA – Juliette Matsukubo try, 72nd minute

Players of the Game: 
ACA – Lucinda Breau
UPEI – Carla Stewart

Legend:  
Try: 5 points 
Penalty goal: 3 points 
Convert: 2 points