A high-energy contest in Napanee last Friday resulted in the women’s hockey team upsetting the nationally ranked Guelph Gryphons 7-6.
Both teams came out flying from the opening face-off and remained in high gear right to the end of the game. Gaels forward Kori Cembal opened the scoring, only to have the Gryphons respond seven minutes later with their first goal of the game.
Gaels’ captain Cassie Sparks put Queen’s back in front with 5:03 remaining in the first period, but Guelph again responded quickly, scoring 15 seconds later to tie the score at two at the end of the period.
With the game knotted at three late in the second, Gryphons forward Jennifer Rivers put the finishing touches on her hat trick with just 15 seconds left on the clock.
Queen’s fought back a mere nine seconds later as Liz Kench scored a goal to tie the score at four heading into the second intermission. Two more goals were scored by each team in the third period to deadlock the score at six apiece. With overtime looming, Queen’s forward Kelsey Thomson came through in the clutch to score the winner with just 28 seconds left in regulation time.
Kench, who had two goals and an assist on the night, said she found the frantic pace tough on her nerves.
“It was scary at times, the way the game kept going back and forth,” she said.
Queen’s was outshot 37-33. With the win, the Gaels remain in fourth place in the division with a 6-6-3 record.
This weekend the women will head out on the road for their last two games before the break. They’ll face the Western Mustangs Friday and the Windsor Lancers Saturday.
The men’s hockey team came away with a win and a loss from their weekend road trip in Quebec. On Friday night they overpowered a strong Concordia Stingers team in Montreal, picking up a gritty 4-3 overtime win.
Goalie Ryan Gibb was once again the story against Concordia, posting 38 saves and holding the Gaels in the game when they were outshot 16-4 in the opening period.
Queen’s scored early in both the first and second periods to take the lead twice, but quickly lost it both times. Defenceman Mike Bushby notched the Gaels’ third goal of the game with 3:08 left in regulation to send the game into overtime. Brady Olsen, Queen’s leading scorer, ended the Gaels two-game losing skid by scoring the winning goal with just five seconds left in overtime.
The Gaels’ second game of the trip was against the Université de Québec à Trois Rivières Patriotes, who lead the OUA Far East division with a 10-3-1 record. The Patriotes asserted their dominance with a 3-0 win over Queen’s Saturday night, spraying 63 shots at goaltender Brady Morrison.
Head coach Brett Gibson said he wasn’t disappointed with the loss. “[The Patriotes are] probably the best team in the league,” he said. “The guys played hard.” Gibson said he plans to adjust the Gaels’ penalty kill to try and contain the Patriotes’ ferocious power play when the teams meet again this week.
Queen’s remains in the lead in the OUA’s Mid-East division.
Queen’s will be back at home this weekend for their final games before the winter break. They’ll play Concordia again Friday night in Napanee, and face the Patriotes Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. at the Memorial Centre.
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