As universities are in the off-season, StFX Athletics would like
to take this opportunity to recap the 2012-13 varsity season on the
fields, running trails, courts and ice.
Four StFX teams took home AUS championship titles, while the
highlight of the season was the CIS national championship won on
home turf at Oland Stadium by the X-Women rugby team. Joining
women’s rugby as AUS champions in their respective sports
were X-Women cross country, X-Men cross country and X-Women hockey,
who also claimed CIS bronze. The StFX track and field team won a
record number 11 gold medals at the AUS championship, including
eight individual and three relay teams.
The X-Women rugby team won their 15th consecutive Atlantic
University Sport title with a convincing 72-0 shutout over Acadia
at home at Oland Stadium in the AUS final. StFX is the only team to
be crowned conference champions since the inception of the AUS
women’s rugby league. One week later the X-Women hosted the
CIS national championship and after earning round robin victories
over Queen’s and Concordia, went on to defeat Guelph 37-0 in
the championship game in front of over 5000 fans. The title marked
the first national banner won by a StFX team at home and was the
third overall in X-Women rugby history, having previously won in
2010 and 2006. They have appeared in six of the last seven CIS gold
medal games and were ranked No. 1 in the nation for the entire 2012
season.
The X-Men cross country team enjoyed a successful 2012 campaign,
placing first in three AUS-hosted meets this year and taking home a
second place finish at the interlock meet. They won their
second consecutive and fifth overall AUS championship in Halifax as
hosted by Dalhousie. Fourth year runner Connor McGuire was the
individual AUS champion for the second consecutive year, while five
more X-Men placed amongst the top ten. At the CIS championship at
Western the X-Men placed 11th overall.
The X-Women cross country team also claimed AUS championship honors
this past fall, winning their first conference banner since 2009
and sixth overall. The top finisher for StFX was Melissa Hardy in
fourth place as the X-Women placed four runners in the top ten. In
regular season competition, StFX won all three AUS-hosted meets and
placed third at the interlock meet. At the CIS championship at
Western, the X-Women ran to a 12th place finish.
On the soccer pitch, both the X-Women and X-Men teams battled all
season long in AUS regular competition, playing many close games,
but failed to qualify for their respective AUS playoffs. The
X-Women finished in ninth place with a 1-6-6 record, while the
X-Men were eighth overall at 5-6-2, one point out of playoff
contention. X-Men head coach Graham Kennedy took over in January as
full-time head coach of both soccer programs.
The X-Men football team had many solid individual performances
during the 2012 season, but failed to qualify for the third and
final AUS playoff spot, finishing with a 2-6 record in fourth
place. The X-Men will be returning a core group of players on both
offense and defense next season.
On the ice, the X-Women and X-Men hockey teams both enjoyed
successful AUS regular seasons. The X-Women finished in first place
with a 23-1-0 record and went on to defeat Saint Mary’s in
the AUS final to claim their ninth conference championship in team
history. At the CIS championship in Toronto, the X-Women were 1-1
in pool play and took home the bronze medal after a 3-2 overtime
victory over the host Varsity Blues. The X-Women were ranked in the
CIS top ten throughout the entire season.
The X-Men hockey placed a respectable fourth in a close AUS
conference with a 16-10-2 regular season record. They played two
close games with UPEI in the AUS quarter-finals but were on the 2-0
losing end of the best two-of-three game playoff series.
The X-Women volleyball team posted a 7-10 record in AUS
competition, good enough for fifth place overall. After defeating
UNB in the AUS quarter-final match, they fell to eventual champion
Dalhousie in the semifinals.
On the basketball court, the X-Men had a bit of an up and down
season, finishing with a 9-11 record in fifth place overall. Always
a perennial contender for the AUS title, the blue and white
defeated Dalhousie in the quarter-final playoff game, but fell to
Cape Breton 80-70 in the AUS semifinal as the Capers went on to
claim the conference championship.
The X-Women basketball team, under the guidance of first year head
coach Augy Jones, enjoyed a very successful year. With a 13-7
regular season record, they finished in second place and solidified
a first round bye in the AUS playoffs. StFX defeated UNB in the AUS
semi-final game but faced a tough Saint Mary’s squad in the
final and fell 90-57.
The StFX track and field team posted an impressive performance at
the AUS championship in Moncton, taking home a record number 11
gold medals, including eight individual titles and three relay team
victories. The X-Men squad had a total of seven gold and one silver
medal, while the X-Women won four gold, four silver and three
bronze. Both teams were runners-up to Dalhousie for the AUS
titles.
The 2012-13 season of varsity season also saw StFX athletes and
coaches honored with numerous AUS and CIS accolades. Forty X-Women
and X-Men received recognition as AUS all-stars, four earned AUS
all-rookie status, while 11 StFX athletes and coaches received AUS
major awards. Looking at CIS recognition, five StFX athletes
received CIS All-Canadian distinction, three were honored with
national CIS awards and eight athletes were named to a CIS
tournament all-star team.
Off the playing surface, StFX became the first university in Canada
to launch a comprehensive sports leadership academy, under the
guidance of Director of Athletics & Recreation and CIS
President Leo MacPherson. X-Women and X-Men student-athletes
successfully completed both the Emerging Leaders and Veteran
Leaders programs this past spring.