The men’s and women’s soccer teams each racked up three wins in four days last weekend, putting them both in good positions as they head into the playoffs.
“We have some good momentum and good chemistry to build on,” men’s head coach Al McVicar said.
The women’s head coach, Dave McDowell, was equally positive about his team’s play, but added that the playoffs are a new season.
“The slate’s wiped clean and you just start from scratch, so we’ll have to play well to keep going,” he said. The action began on Thursday afternoon at Ryerson University in Toronto. In the first match, the Gaels won 4-1 with goals by captain Alex Makin, David Kerr-Vayne, Nick Milonas and Kelly McNicol. In the second game, the Queen’s women’s team defeated the Rams 3-1, with two goals by CIS leading corer Eilish McConville, and one by Jennifer Pentesco. On Saturday both squads returned to Kingston to play the Royal Military College Paladins. The men’s side began the afternoon well, with first-year striker Rick Paudyn receiving a from Makin, drilling the ball at the goalie and then driving his own rebound into the Paladins’ net only a minute into the game.
The only other goal of the match came in the 72nd minute when Kerr-Vayne received a through ball from Paudyn, slipped behind the defence, and beat RMC goalie Anthony Carter with a low drive. Queen’s pressed hard for more but Carter made several quality stops to ensure that the score remained 2-0 at the final whistle. The women took to the field next, needing a victory to clinch first lace overall in the OUA.
The Gaels played with urgency from the opening kickoff and McConville rose to the occasion displaying the same goal-scoring precision she has all season. She made a run down the right flank and drove a 20-yard shot from a sharp angle past Paladins’ keeper Erica Pessotto just four minutes into the game. She added two more goals to complete her hat trick and set up Renee MacLellan for another, making the final score 4-0 Queen’s. McConville later modestly described Saturday’s trio of goals. “I was just happy to be able to get them. The first one was kind of fluky; it was kind of supposed to be a cross but wound up going in thanks to the wind,” she said. “The other ones were good plays that the team put together, and I was fortunate enough to be in the right position.”
After the game McDowell said the Gaels all showed versatility. “Considering all the lineup changes and
some players playing in different positions because of injuries, they did very well.” Both teams returned to RMC on Sunday to play the Paladins again. The men’s squad overcame the wet and muddy field conditions to record a convincing 4-0 win. Third-year defender Wade Ennis scored in the 30th minute and McNicol and Makin added two more within six minutes to put Queen’s up 3-0 at the half. The final point came in the form of an own goal by RMC in the 84th minute. The women’s squad also battled both the Paladins and the elements on Sunday. McDowell described the conditions as “absolutely miserable,” but the team triumphed over both foes for a 3-1 victory. McConville scored twice, bringing her tally for the three games to seven goals and her total goals scored to 22. MacLellan
added another marker for the Gaels. Both teams will open their playoff seasons tomorrow at Richardson Stadium.
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