Axewomen, Panthers set to face off in AUS semifinal
By: Dwayne Tingley
Acadia Axewomen veteran Annie Kennedy vows her team will be ready.
If not, their AUS rugby season will be over.
The second-place Axewomen (4-2) will host the third-place UPEI Panthers (2-4) in the conference final on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m. in Wolfville, N.S.
"The conditions were terrible when we played them and we didn't have a very good game," said Kennedy, a fourth-year fly-half who also serves as team captain.
"It's just a game that we were not prepared to play and it almost cost us the win," the Kingston, Ont. native continued. "We won't do that again. We will be prepared to play our best game of the season."
The Axewomen trounced the Panthers 75-5 in their first regular season meeting on Sept. 14. However, the Acadia squad managed to escape with a 15-10 victory in their second match-up on Oct. 12.
"You have to give UPEI a lot of credit. They improved and they proved that you have to take every game seriously," said Kennedy, who finished second in the conference in scoring with 40 points in six games.
"Any varsity team is competitive, so you have to be prepared. We're expecting another tough game from them and this time we'll be ready for them."
The winner of the semifinal will advance to face the defending AUS and U SPORTS champion StFX X-Women in the conference final, scheduled for Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. in Antigonish, N.S.
The X-Women have captured the AUS crown in three of the last four years. They have brought home the conference title in 20 of the last 21 years.
"We are not thinking of the final," Kennedy said. "We are in a very good position now and our players are united. We are only thinking about the semifinal and we'll get ready for the final after that."
The Panthers are expecting a hard-fought final.
"We will have to perform at our best to compete with Acadia," said Panthers head coach John LaBoyne. "We expect them to come out flying."
Kennedy said the Axewomen will have a physical game plan.
"We always have a lot of contact in practice and we bring out the best in each other," the Axewomen captain said. "We are more confident when we play a game with a lot of contact. It's the playoffs and we're going to keep the same style we've had all year."
The U SPORTS national championship is scheduled for Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 at the University of Ottawa.