It is that special time of year again! As September nears its end, Mt. A’s varsity sports teams are just revving up for the beginning of their seasons. Homecoming weekend showcased some incredible talent, keeping fans on the edges of their seats during every single game.
The weekend started off with a bang on Friday, as the University’s women’s basketball team took on UPEI for an exhibition game. With close scores and great plays, the Mounties showed that they are not to be underestimated this upcoming season. Shortly after, the men’s basketball team took on Acadia. Before the game, second-year guard Kaden Augustin explained the team’s strategy going into this match, as well as the 2024–2025 season. “We’ve been practicing almost every day for the past three or four weeks, and our guys have been working really hard in the gym, with extra workouts in the mornings.” Ultimately, the men’s team lost to the Axemen 102–58, but fought hard all throughout, showing resilience in every quarter.
On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of Mounties football fans made their way to Alumni Field to see their team play against Bishop’s University, hoping for revenge after a tough, one touchdown loss against them during last year’s homecoming weekend. Football team captain and defensive back Jet Agette revealed how he is helping to keep the team motivated going into such an anticipated game. “As the captain, I am kinda just making sure that everyone has a good mindset going into it, and are feeling positive… making sure our heads are not down, and that we are doing our jobs as best as we can, just playing all sixty minutes, because a football game can go up and down.” The final score was 62–0 for the Bishop’s University Gaiters. Another highlight of this game was the half-time show, as the University’s dance team brought the crowd to life. Dancing to a mashup of songs such as “The Way I Are” by Timbaland and “Guess” by Charli xcx featuring Billie Eilish, they kept spirits high going into the second half of the game.
Saturday evening featured a stellar performance for Mt. A’s women’s hockey team, as they played a pre-season exhibition game against St. Thomas University (STU). This was a nail-biter, with a score of 1–0 STU after the first period. The Mounties kept on working, finishing the second period with a tied score of 1–1. Both teams ultimately scored another goal each during the third period, finishing the allotted time with a score of 2–2, and causing the game to go into sudden-death overtime. STU eventually scored with four minutes left on the clock, meaning the final score of this game was 3–2 for the Tommies. It was clear to the spectators that this was anyone’s game, and is sure to foreshadow a great season for the Mounties.
Finally, the weekend was rounded off with two excellent showings from the University’s soccer teams, as both the men’s and women’s squads took on UPEI. The women’s team played first at 1 p.m., and the men’s game followed with kickoff scheduled for 3:15 p.m. The women’s game finished with the score drawn 0–0, after an intense back and forth battle with the Panthers. The Men’s team finished their game with a close 1–0 loss, after UPEI scored in the second half.
It is safe to say that homecoming brings out the best in Mt. A students. From the determination shown by each sports team, to the packed fan sections repping garnet and gold, to alumni finding their way back home to the University, nothing unites us all quite like homecoming weekend. Be sure to keep supporting the Mounties this year, as this varsity season is just getting started!
