Panthers defeat St. FX 14-12 to punch ticket to AUS Final

By Thomas Becker

For the first time in program history, the St. FX X-Women will not be playing in the AUS Rugby Final, and they have the UPEI Panthers to thank for that. 

The Panthers denied the X-Women's opportunity to extend their gaudy streak Thursday afternoon in a hard-fought 14-12 win. In the process, UPEI clinched their first finals berth since 2006 and will face the Acadia Axewomen next Wednesday for the title. The Panthers also clinched a spot at the U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship hosted by the University of Victoria with today's win.

For fourth-year flanker Brinten Comeau (Hammonds Plains, NS), it's reasons like this that she decided to return for another year. She knew this team was special, and now she has the opportunity to lead them to their first-ever championship. 

"I'm over the moon. I have no words," said Comeau, catching her breath after the game. "This whole year has been insane, and I can't even really believe it. I'm just so excited, and we're ready to make more history." 

The game was a defensive grind throughout, as each team fought for every yard they gained. The X-Women were the first to score when they took the ball from a ruck and passed it out to the left, where Katie Douglas (Charlottetown, PE) cut toward the middle and went the final 20 metres for the game's first try 13 minutes in. 

St. FX consistently found themselves in great field position for most of the first half but struggled to put points on the board against the conference's best defence. However, they would get to the Panthers again in the 27th minute when Hannah Ellis (Halifax, NS) drew a defender toward her before spinning a ball to Katherine Culligan (Halifax, NS), who went the final few yards for the try. Madison Ross (Coldbrook, NS) missed a costly conversion on the ensuing play and the score remained 12-0. 

Panthers head coach James Voye said there was no panic in the team after they surrendered the first 12 points.

"I think the heart rate went up a little bit. We weren't expecting them to score first," he said. "Did I want to be down 12 points to start the game? No. But that's what we were faced with and credit to the girls for keeping their composure and fighting back." 

UPEI battled their way down the field over the next nine minutes and finally broke through. Within five metres of the try line, the ball kept going side to side before it found Emily Duffy (Saint John, NB), who powered her way through the defence to cut the deficit to 12-7 before halftime.

"It was a momentum changer for us," Voye said of the first half try. "If we don't come away with those seven points at that point in the game, who knows what happens in the second half. Maybe that would have changed the outcome of the game."

With the wind behind their backs in the second half, the Panthers looked like the superior team as they controlled the game. In tight quarters once again, Duffy pulled her team ahead in the 53rd minute with her second bulldozer-like try of the game which made it 14-12. 

"I just felt the girls' strength and voices behind me telling me to give it my all," Duffy said. "The only reason I got those trys is because the other girls almost pushed their way to the end zone. I just brought it over in the end."

From there, UPEI's defence held up strong against a powerhouse St. FX squad and didn't allow them near the try line, as they closed out the win and punched their ticket to next week's AUS Final in Wolfville.

"We've worked so hard for this. This is my fourth year and this is all we ever dreamed about," said Duffy, fighting off tears. "To show other schools that we are someone to beat and someone to fight against means more than anything."

Photo Credit: Mike Needham