(SACKVILLE, N.B.) - The Acadia Axemen defeated the Mount Allison Mounties 25-24 in AUS football action in Sackville on Saturday afternoon.
The Mounties, playing their first home game on their new turf field, led throughout most of the afternoon until Acadia scored with one minute remaining to take the lead.
Mounties kicker Ryan Lambert attempted a 49-yard field goal with 20 seconds remaining but the kick sailed wide right.
The two-time defending AUS champion Mounties started quickly striking on a blocked punt just four inutes into the game.
With Acadia backed up inside their own 10, the Mounties were able to block Colin Murney's punt and Quinn LeBlanc jumped on the loose ball in the end zone to put the Mounties up 7-0.
Acadia responded before the end of the first quarter with an 80-yard drive that ended with a Thomas Troop eight-yard touchdown.
Murney added a single late in the first quarter thanks to a 69-yard punt to give Acadia an 8-7 lead.
With six minutes remaining in the first half, Mounties quarterback Brandon Leyh quick-kicked a ball through the Acadia end zone to even the score at 8-8.
The Mounties then exploded for nine points in the final minute of the first half, beginning with Acadia conceding a safety at 1:23.
Shortly after, the Mounties' Kyle Horsman blocked another Murney punt to give the Mount Allison great field position.
Following a 29-yard completion to Dakota Brush, Brandon Leyh found Christian Plante in the end zone for a one-yard touchdown. This brought the score to 18-10 for the Mounties at halftime.
Just past the midway point of the third quarter, Acadia QB Cody Cluett hit Eli Prochnau for a 79-yard touchdown to bring the score to 18-15.
On the ensuing drive, the Acadia defence forced a Mounties safety to narrow the gap to a single point before the home team responded with a 32-yard field goal Ryan Lambert to make it a four-point contest.
With the score 21-17 early in the final quarter, the Mount Allison linebacker Te Nguyen forced a fumble and thanks to the good field position, Lambert added another field goal, this time from 25 yards to make the score 24-17 with just over 10 minutes to play.
The Mounties held the 24-17 lead until conceeding a safety with 2:25 left to play.
On the next possession, Cluett found reigning AUS player of the year Brian Jones for a 53-yard touchdown to give Acadia a 25-24 lead.
The Mounties had one last chance when Lambert attempted a 48-yard field goal in the final seconds, but the kick sailed wide right.
QB Brandon Leyh was 31-of-40 for 244 yards and touchdown for the Mounties while Acadia quarterback Cody Cluett completed 22-of-38 pass attempts for 268 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Mount Allison receiver Dakota Brush caught a game-high 13 passes for 121 yards receiving, while Jones (9-121) and Prochnau (4-100) were the top receivers for the Axemen.
Acadia RB Thomas Troop carried the ball 22 times for 98 yards and a TD in the victory while Kiel Ambursley was the top ball carrier for the home squad with 52 yards on 15 carries.
Coming up in week three of AUS action will be the interlock week with the RSEQ. Mount Allison will play home to Sherbrooke for homecoming while Acadia travels to McGill.
The Mounties will have official grand opening ceremonies to celebrate the opening of their new turf field at half time of the homecoming game, which can also be seen live on Bell Aliant FibreOp TV1.
Source: Mount Allison Sports Communications