As a fitting tribute to former soccer Gael Greg Hulse, his teammates came up big on Sunday with a 4-1 win over the RMC Paladins, extending their unbeaten run to 3-0-1 to start the season.
Just three minutes into the game, Jeremy Armstrong sent a left foot blast from outside the 18-yard box into the top right corner, giving the Gaels an early 1-0 lead. It was Armstrong’s first goal of this regular season, his first season back after a stint as the Gaels’ head coach last season. Armstrong followed up the goal with a strong header in the 10th minute that sailed just wide.
Chris Gencarelli was sent through on a high ball in the 13th minute, and headed the ball on net. After a scramble, the ball ended up on the foot of David Kerr-Vayne with an open goal in front of him, staking the Gaels to a 2-0 advantage.
Kerr-Vayne would get an opportunity for another goal just ten minutes later on a breakaway, but the RMC goalie came up with a big save to keep the deficit at two goals.
RMC got an opportunity to cut the lead in half in the 26th minute on a penalty shot, but their shooter pushed the ball left of the net and they remained two goals down.
Queen’s punished the Paladins for not taking advantage of that opportunity when Gencarelli took an errant RMC in on a breakaway and slipped it into the net for his fifth goal of the season.
Things got heated near the end of the first half as the RMC head coach expressed his anger to the referee and a linesman over a non-call, warranting a visit and warning from the referee.
The Gaels began the second half with a dangerous chance, when Armstrong headed Eddie Macedo’s free kick just wide of the net.
With 15 minutes remaining in the game, RMC got on the scoreboard on a defensive breakdown by the Gaels and a low shot that got past goalie Tyler Swan. Swan, a rookie, replaced first-string goalie Ostap Prokipchuk at halftime and has seen significant playing time this season.
Queen’s restored their three-goal lead with five minutes left in regulation, with Kerr-Vayne netting his second of the game on a nice feed from Gencarelli. The final whistle blew and the Gaels notched a 4-1 victory.
Head coach Al MacVicar said was pleased with his team’s possession-oriented approach to the first half, which led to plenty of scoring opportunities.
“We try to go really hard in the first and last five minutes of every half,” MacVicar said. “I think the substitutions may have taken away a bit from our flow in the second half, moving players in and out.”
Prior to the game, players and fans stood for a moment of silence for Hulse, a former Gael who died in a car accident over the summer. Included as part of the day’s memorial was a raffle of two Gaels jerseys, with the proceeds directed to Jamaica Mission, a charity for underprivileged children with which Hulse was heavily involved. The effort raised $400.
The women’s team came out with a 2-0 victory over the RMC Paladins on Sunday.
A rainy Sunday morning left the field conditions slick, which contributed to difficult ball handling and sent offensive attacks sailing off target. Maia Lawson was nearly sent in on a breakaway in the 18th minute, but the ball slipped a few feet in front of her and went right to the RMC goalkeeper.
The Gaels were rewarded for excellent possession in the 28th minute, when Janine Clarke headed a cross off the crossbar. The ball rebounded to the foot of Ashley Barrett, who notched the first Queen’s goal of the game.
The second half began well for the Gaels, as midfielder Julia Wilkes put back a rebound off a rush and gave her team a 2-0 lead. Wilkes battled for another chance with just 10 minutes left, but shot just wide.
Dave McDowell, head coach of the Gaels women’s team, noted that RMC played a solid defensive game, but was somewhat displeased with his team’s lack of composure when they became frustrated at their own loose play.
“With Eilish [McConville] out with an injury, it limits what we can do offensively,” McDowell said. “She adds a different dimension to the game, but her absence does give us a chance to see what other players can do.”
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