The St. Francis Xavier X-Men hope the third time’s the charm in the Atlantic University Sport Loney Bowl.
The X-Men have lost back-to-back heartbreakers to the Saint Mary’s Huskies and are looking to win their first AUS crown since 1996 when the teams meet on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Halifax. They lost 29-27 last year and 25-24 in 2007.
X-Men kicker Kyle Chisholm had game-winning and game-tying field goals on his toe each year but couldn’t convert. Chisholm has since been replaced by Anthony Alix.
“There’s a focus around the team, a determination around the team, especially from the guys who have been through it,” said X-Men head coach Gary Waterman. “Those games are over, but in the back of your mind, you remember them.
“The guys won’t need a big pre-game speech before this one.”
The X-Men, who went 6-2 this season, needed 17 straight fourth-quarter points to edge the Acadia Axemen 33-30 in last Saturday’s semifinal, narrowly avoiding an epic upset.
They have lost 17 straight games at Huskies Stadium.
