MUDMEN OFF TO TITLE GAMES
Island rugby club earns berth in two Nova Scotia division championships
Island rugby club earns berth in two Nova Scotia division championships after weekend wins
The Hunter’s Ale House P.E.I. Mudmen rugby club A and B division teams punched tickets to the championship games of their respective divisions after wins in Nova Scotia Senior Men’s Rugby League semifinals last weekend.
It’s the first time the Mudmen placed teams in both division finals. Earlier in the summer, the fledgling Charlottetown Football Rugby Club won the women’s A division crown.
Saturday, the A division side scored a 32-19 win over the fivetime defending champ Halifax Tars erasing a four-year streak of the Tars eliminating the Mudmen in the post-season.
On Sunday, the P.E.I. B division side won a close 25-20 victory against Pictou County.
For Phil Gallant, longtime Mudmen player and organizer, winning the A division semi came down to P.E.I. utilizing its depth and strong substitutions to stay fresh and maintain momentum.
“The timely subs and our defence was key. Guys came in seamlessly and made an impact,” said Gallant. “We are excited to move on, but now that game is behind us and we still have work to do.”
In the game, the Tars came out flying and scored a try in the first two minutes for a 7-0 lead.
But P.E.I. responded with strong running lines and cut the lead with a Brodie Macdonald penalty kick to make the score 7-3.
Then the Mudmen used strong defence and hard-hitting to gain a 17-14 halftime lead.
The second half was all P.E.I. as the Island team overwhelmed the Tars dominating in ball possession and defence.
Phil Lanthier was named the player of the game for the Mudmen.
P.E.I. hosts Enfield the A division crown this Saturday at Co-op Field. Game time to be determined.
Enfield downed Halifax RFC 29-19 in Saturday’s other semi.
The B division semifinal matchup proved a back and forth affair between Pictou County and the Mudmen, but P.E.I. used kicks from Ryan Lloyd and trys from Nathan Dehann, Mark Mitchell and Gallant to seal a 25-20 victory and a trip to the finals.
The game that saw five lead change and a Mudmen last minute defensive stand against a driving Pictou side.
Dartmouth hosts P.E.I. for the division title Saturday, Oct. 7. Game time to be determined.