(SACKVILLE, N.B.) - The 2013 AUS champion Mount Allison Mounties opened the 2014 regular season with a hard fought 20-12 victory over the Acadia Axemen at MacAulay Field on Saturday. The win extended the Mounties' regular season and playoff AUS win streak to six games.
The winds were up at MacAulay and tough defence on both sides kept the game close until early in the fourth quarter when a 55-yard touchdown reception by second-year Mountie Rodreke Joseph gave the home team the cushion they needed.
The Mounties led for the entire 60 minutes as first-year kicker Ryan Lambert launched the opening kickoff through the end zone to give the Mounties a 1-0 lead before any time had elapsed from the clock.
The Mounties added another single four minutes into the game when punter Kyle McLean again kicked the ball through the Acadia Axemen as the Mounties took advantage of the wind in the first quarter.
2013 AUS all-star Michael Bohan wasted little time making an impact on the new season as he returned a Ryan Begin punt 37 yards to the Acadia 14-yard line with eight minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Two plays later, fourth-year Mounties running back Emmanuel Musangu ran for a six-yard touchdown to give the Mounties a 9-0 lead. Lambert again kicked the ball through the Acadia end zone with the wind to earn another single and run the score to 10-0.
Acadia responded before the end of the first quarter, using a Ryan Begin 19-yard field goal to make the score 10-3.
With the wind in the second quarter, Acadia moved the ball well but could only manage another Begin field goal, this time from 20 yards with six minutes remaining in the first half. This would round out the scoring and put the halftime score at 10-6 for the Mounties.
With the wind in the third quarter, the Mounties added to their lead, first forcing Acadia to take a safety with nine minutes gone in the quarter.
With 46 second remaining in the third quarter, a missed field goal by Lambert earned another single and gave the Mounties a 13-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The biggest play of the game came two minutes into the fourth quarter when Mounties quarterback Brandon Leyh hit Joseph on a 12-yard hitch on a second and ten situation. Joseph broke one tackle and then sprinted untouched for a 55-yard score.
Lambert converted the extra point and gave the defending champs a 20-6 lead.
Acadia made it interesting late, when quarterback Jon Shaw hit Brian Jones with a 22-yard pass for a touchdown with 15 seconds remaining. Acadia missed on the two-point conversion and once the onside kick attempt sailed out of bounds, the Mounties needed only to take a knee to run out the clock.
Both defences played tough all day and a key interception late by third-year Mountie Jordan Redding helped preserve the win.
Matt Montgomery led the way for the Mounties with nine tackles, while linebacker Te Nguyen had seven.
Drew Morris had seven tackles to lead the way for Acadia.
On offence, Leyh was 22-of-29 for 200 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for the Mounties, while rookie quarterback Jon Shaw was 28-of-44 for 268 yards and one touchdown, with one interception for Acadia.
The Mounties now go on the road to take on StFX next Saturday, Sept. 13 for a battle of undefeated teams in the young AUS season. Acadia returns home to host Saint Mary's who lost their opener 31-7 to StFX on Friday night.
Source: Mount Allison Sports Information