WOLFVILLE, N.S. - Fifth-year veterans,
Louis-Philippe Gregoire (Jonquière, QC/Cégep de Jonquière) and
Keagan Hughes (West Kelowna, BC/M.B.S.S.), stepped onto Raymond Field in Wolfville, Nova Scotia prepared to change the narrative on past match-ups with the Acadia Axemen. Gregoire had two touchdowns on the day while Hughes tallied twelve solo tackles, two assists and three tackles for loss for a combined 43 yards throughout the game.
Louis-Philippe Gregoire (Jonquière, QC/Cégep de Jonquière) had sixteen carries on the day, rushed for 124 yards and was named the Player of the Game for the visiting Bishop's Gaiters. Quarterback,
Mason McGriskin (North Bay, ON/West Ferris S.S.), completed 11 of 22 attempts for 164 yards, his longest for 33-yards. He also had a single interception on the day.
Both teams started the game cautiously, feeling one another out early into the contest. The first fifteen minutes passed with a single point on the board, a result of a
Yani Gouadfel (Mitry-Mory, France/Cégep de Thetford) punt that went through the endzone. Duncan Patterson crossed the goal line on a 1-yard run 10 seconds into the second quarter which propelled the Axemen to a 7-1 lead. The Gaiters responded five minutes later with an 8-yard run by Gregoire to make the score 8-7 for Bishop's. Acadia added a rouge and a field goal before the end of the quarter and entered the break up 11-3.
Following halftime, the Gaiters stepped onto the field with one word in mind - finish - a message that has been preached to them throughout the season. The Axemen added another field goal near the end of the third quarter, leaving the Gaiters trailing by six headed into the final stanza. Once again, Gregoire stepped up for the purple and white and crossed the goal-line on a 6-yard run making the score 15-14 in favour of the Gaiters. The Axemen pushed hard on their final series of the game to get within field goal range. Acadia's field goal attempt, in the final seconds of the game, went wide of the upright, securing the win for the Gaiters.
The win is a monumental one for the Gaiters, marking the first time Bishop's has defeated Acadia since joining the AUS in 2017. The Gaiters move to 2-2 on the season and ahead of Acadia (1-3) in the conference standings. The win moves Bishop's into third position in the AUS standings with two games remaining in the 2021 regular season and could prove to be pivotal in the playoff picture.
Next Up
The Gaiters are back at home on Coulter Field on Saturday October 23 to face the StFX X-Men in the Bigg Bowl. The match-up will mark the second between the two teams this season and the Gaiters will look to defend their Bigg Bowl title from 2019. Game time is 2PM.
Stay tuned to www.gaiters.ca and #GaiterNation or @BishopsGaiters on social media to follow the Gaiters.
