Stephanie Schneider (Lacrosse)
ArtSci ’01
The Golden Gaels Women’s lacrosse team has had an undeniably solid start to their season winning their first two league games against the York Yeomen 17-6 and the McGill Martlets 16-8.
Stephanie Schneider, one of the teams attackers, made a hefty contribution of ten goals in those two league games, leading her team to an impressive 2-0 start this season and earning her the honour of Queen’s Journal Athlete of the Week.
When asked about her performance over the weekend Schneider simply answered “I was pumped up for the game and I wanted to come out hard and give it my all.” And that she did, adding to the six goals she scored in the early bird tournament against U of T, Brock and McMaster.
“Stephanie is an unassuming player,” said Coach Cheryl MacNeill. “You wouldn’t expect her to be a scorer with her quiet presence on the field.” With hard work and dedication, Schneider hopes to see her team win a third OUA championship this season, which the Gaels will host November 4.
Schneider, a resident of Virginia, attended Fairfax high school and has been playing lacrosse for eight years. She has won numerous team and individual awards, including MVP in both her junior and senior years at Fairfax and also winning the OUA championship two years running here at Queens. Schneider, a Spanish major, is no stranger to competitive athletics, as she also played field hockey before giving it up to take on lacrosse full time. Coach MacNeill couldn’t be happier to have her.
“Stephanie is so easy going, and very easy to coach. She works hard,” MacNeill said.
As for Schneider’s goal this season?
“To let myself know that I did my best and could contribute to the team.” With Schneider’s success so far this season, her goal doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
The Gaels lacrosse team travels to Montreal this weekend to play U of T, their toughest competition this year, and to have a rematch with McGill. You can see Stephanie in action here for the OUA championships November 4.
Matt Hodgson (Rugby)
ArtsSci ’00
Against their stiffest competition of this young season last Saturday the Gaels men’s rugby team prevailed in dramatic fashion. The Queen’s try scoring machine was too much for the visiting Waterloo Warriors as they won handily, 65-9. Scoring three tries in impressive fashion, Matt Hodgson was much more then a cog in the machine.
The fifth year PHE student’s critical contribution was enough to earn himself the honour of this week’s Queen’s Journal Male Athlete of the Week.
Not only were the outside center’s amount of tries impressive but the quality and timing of the tries were even more so. The first try was towards the end of the first half and was the tally that turned momentum in Queen’s favour.
His next two tries came early in the second half and were the points that broke Waterloo’s back and dashed any chance of the Warriors getting back in to the game. Up to that point the Warriors had been putting Queen’s under constant pressure. Hodgson’s two strikes revitalized the Gaels and allowed the floodgates to open.
The second try was a beauty. Receiving the ball from inside center Phil Clark at full pace near center field, Hodgson shot a gap and broke through the Warrior back line. Still running at full pace in open field Hodgson had only the fullback to beat for the score. The fullback was directly in his path and had him in his sights. Making a quick move and sidestepping the defender, Hodgeson cruised into the end zone untouched, leaving the fullback more dazed than the inebriated alumni lining the field.
Hodgson attributed his great game to his coaches and teammates. “With the amount of talent we have on this team, it makes my job easy,” Hodgson said. “The coaches this year have done a great job preparing us for every game.” Hodgson was a relatively late er to the sport, only starting in grade 12 at Saint Peter’s Secondary School in Peterborough alongside fellow Gael Andrew Thompson. Though a late starter in the sport it didn’t take Matt long to catch up as he enters his fourth year playing for the Gaels first team this season. An adaptable back, Hodgson has played inside center, outside center and winger in his career with the Gaels, a career that was raised to new levels last year . Two summers ago Matt played winger for the Toronto Renegades, a semi-pro team who are a part of the Canadian Rugby Super League – the highest league level of rugby in Canada.
This Saturday at Kingston Field at 1 p.m., the Golden Gaels play arch-rival Western, who sport two Renegade backs of their own, center Matt King and winger Rob Woolfenden. Hodgson and the rest of the Gaels will be looking to bewilder many a Mustang in the battle for first place in the OUA.
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