X-Men improve to 6-0 with victory over Axemen

(ANTIGONISH, N.S.) - The U SPORTS No. 5 ranked STFX X-Men made it six wins on the season with a big 42-9 victory over the Acadia Axemen on Saturday afternoon at STFX Stadium.

In the air, Silas Fagnan (Bonnyville, AB) went 17-23 for 350 yards and three touchdowns, while Malcolm Bussey (Hammonds Plains, NS) gained 136 yards of 28 carries, including one for a touchdown. STFX player of the game receiver Ben Harrington (Dartmouth, NS) also had a strong game, making 4 catches for 150 and two TDs. X-Men kicker-punter Ben Hadley (Halifax, NS) hit three field goals and added two rouges.

Riley Naujoks (Winnipeg, MB) went 10-16 through the air for Acadia, with 80 passing yards, while Maximus Ramirez (Fort McMurray, AB) picked up 39 yards on eight carries for the Axemen. Luke McMillan had five catches for 50 yards, while Thomas Veinot (Bedford, NS) went three-for-three on field goal attempts.

On the defensive side of the ball, Axemen Riley Comeau (Centreville, NS) and Graham Nightingale (Ottawa, ON) each had 5.5 tackles, including five solo tackles for Nightingale. For STFX, Josh Connors had eight total tackles, including six solos, while Dyton Blackett had 5.5 tackles, including four solos, along with a pair of break-ups.

Max Capriotti (Mount Hope, ON) put the X-Men up by a point with a big punt on the home team's first possession, but a Veinot field goal gave the lead to the visitors with about four minutes left to play in the quarter.

Another Veinot field goal early in the second quarter put the visitors up by five. However, Bussey racked up some big yardage for STFX on their next possession, leading to a 30-yard pass and catch touchdown between Fagnan and Devaughn Blackwood (Kanata, ON). Hadley drilled home the PAT, regaining the lead for the X-Men.

STFX added another single, before a defensive stop, and a 51-yard completion from Fagnan to Harrington helped set up another Hadley field goal, making the score 12-6. STFX added a major through the air, with a Fagnan 54-yard bomb to Harrington for the touchdown, followed by a Hadley extra point and another rouge. Bussey ran one in from one-yard with eight seconds left in the quarter, making it 27-6 at halftime.

Hadley drilled a 35-yard field goal to open the scoring in the third quarter, and Veinot replied with one of his own at the end of the quarter. Harrington had another big play on the next STFX possession, taking it to the house on a 44-yard pitch and catch with Fagnan, followed by a safety in STFX's favour two minutes later. Hadley added his third field goal of the game about halfway through the quarter, for the final score of the game. 

The X-Men (6-0) host the Mount Allison Mounties (2-3) on Saturday, September 14, as part of STFX's Homecoming weekend. Acadia (1-5) is on the road next weekend to take on the Saint Mary's Huskies (1-3) in Halifax on Friday, October 13.

Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics
Photos courtesy Bryan Kennedy, STFX Athletics