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 14^th at 2PM.  StFX finishes 2^nd and will host the Acadia Axemen in the AUS Semi-Final game next Saturday, November 7^th.

StFX opened the scoring half way through the 1^st 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 2^nd straight week Hicks has had a touchdown reception.  The Mounties extended their lead to 9-1 when StFX conceded a safety late in the 1^st 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 3^rd 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 10^th, the X-Men needed to win by 11 points or more to finish 1^st in the AUS.  The Mounties will now host the Subway AUS Loney Bowl for the 2^nd straight year.  It will be the 3^rd year in a row that the 2-time defending champions will play in the Subway AUS Loney Bowl.