When his team was down 2-0 after the first period, head coach Matt Holmberg didn’t give a coach’s speech in the intermission. Instead, he let his athletes do the talking.
“I went up to our captains and said, ‘You know what? This one’s on the players,’” he said. “It was our leaders and our captains that then helped to bring the emotion forward.”
The Gaels fell behind 3-0 in the second period of Sunday’s contest against UOIT, but then scored four straight goals to take the game 4-3 in double overtime.
“It was unfortunate that they got the third goal, but I could tell that we turned things around.”
While the scoresheet may not accurately reflect her contributions, there’s no denying the impact Katrina Manoukarakis had in the comeback.
Credited officially with three goals in the win, including the winner, there was some confusion around Manoukarakis’ second goal of the day halfway through the second period.
“There was a lot of people around the net,” head coach Matt Holmberg said. “From what I understand, [Courtenay Jacklin] got that one. But the players don’t care who’s scoring as long as the team’s scoring.”
MUST SEE – @Kaatrinam OT GWG over UOIT #ChaGheill pic.twitter.com/CdcynwKIB5
— Queen’s Gaels (@queensgaels) January 31, 2016
Late in the third period, Kyla Crouse forced overtime with a power play marker, completing the comeback from down 3-0 midway through the second period.
Queen’s leads the OUA in shots per game with 33. There was no shortage of offensive chances on the day for the team, as they fired an outstanding 73 shots at the UOIT net.
“The players knew that if they kept at it, things were going to happen. It got a little tight towards the end of the game, but the confidence was there,” Holmberg said.
The win came a day after a 3-0 loss to the Guelph Gryphons, who sit first in the OUA. Just five points separating second-place Nipissing from seventh-place Laurentian, so Holmberg knows every game moving forward can impact the entire standings.
“We have some games in hand, so it was important that we use those games and get the points,” he said.
Queen’s heads off this weekend for a pair of games against Nipissing and Laurentian — their first overnight road trip since November.
“I think the team is looking forward to the trip coming up to Sudbury. It’s a good team bonding experience,” Holmberg said. “They’re two teams that are battling for playoff position themselves. We’re going to have to fight and do everything we can to get the points.”
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