Axewomen advance to AUS final with 3-0 win over X-Women in Subway AUS Women's Soccer Championship semifinal

(MONCTON, N.B.) - The top-seeded Acadia Axewomen defeated the No. 5-seeded StFX X-Women 3-0 in semi-final action of the Subway AUS Women's Soccer Championship at Moncton Stadium Friday evening.

With the win the Axewomen advance to the AUS championship game, slated for Sunday at 2 p.m. They await the winner of Cape Breton and Memorial for their opponent.

Earning the shutout victory in the Axewomen net was Emma Connell, while Katie Ross picked up Subway player of the game honors as she scored two goals in the game.

Defender Olivia Wilkie was named the X-Women player of the game for her efforts.

Acadia's first goal came in the 31st minute as Rachel Cunningham brought the ball into the StFX zone, split the X defenders and crossed in front to Kinsella Noseworthy-Smith who one-touched it past X-Women keeper Erin MacDonald.

About six minutes later MacDonald was injured in goal scramble in a collision with another player. She was slow to leave the field with an apparent injury to her right arm. Erin Visser took over the netminding duties from that point forward.

On her first shot of the game, Visser was foiled by Katie Ross on a nice header into the top of the net off of a Noseworthy-Smith cross after she sprinted down the left sideline. The Axewomen goal came in the 40^th minute to give them a 2-0 advantage.

StFX came right back and pressured after the Acadia goal. There was a missed scoring chance by Margaux Fraser and another missed opportunity off a corner kick.

Acadia held onto the 2-0 lead at halftime.

Ross increased the Axewomen lead with a nice strike goal off a free kick, nailing a bullet over the StFX wall of defenders and into the top left corner of the net.

StFX's best chance in the second half came in the 60th minute when Mary MacDonald lofted a nice cross in front of the Acadia net but teammate Brittany Parks was unable to connect.

In the 67th minute, StFX had good scoring opportunity off a corner kick but there were too many bodies in front of the net and the X-Women offense couldn't punch the ball through.

Noseworthy-Smith nearly gave the Axewomen a four goal advantage when she hit the cross bar in the 72nd minute, and Visser then had a nice save off a Jenna Howell shot, just getting her fingers on the ball to deflect it up and over the net. 

In total Visser had four saves in the game and MacDonald had five as the Axewomen outshot the X-Women 15-12. Connell recorded three saves for Acadia.

The Subway AUS championship final game will be played Sunday at 2 p.m.

All games of the championship are being broadcast on Bell Aliant's FibreOP TV1 and are also available via webcast at www.AUStv.ca