Men’s Rowing
Last year: 2nd at OUAs and 2nd at nationals
Grade: A
This year: 1st and 3rd
Grade: A+
The men’s rowing team made huge strides this year, claiming its first provincial championship since 2004 and one of the two OUA banners of the fall term. They also turned in a solid performance at the nationals, coming away with bronze medals. Queen’s is one of the few Canadian universities to consistently compete at a high level in rowing without a full-time
head coach.
Women’s Rowing
Last year: 1st at OUAs and 1st at nationals
Grade: A+
This year: 1st and 2nd
Grade: A
It was a slight step back for the women’s rowing team from its dual OUA and Canadian championships last season, bringing home just the Ontario title this time around. It was still an impressive performance from the women, though. The women dominated the OUA championships, winning six of the eight events and finishing 10 points clear of the Western Mustangs. They came up just short in the last race at the Canadian championships. Particularly strong performances came from Katya Herman, Jenny Hogsden and the lightweight four.
Women’s Lacrosse
Last year: 3-3, 2-1 playoffs
Grade: A-
This year: 9-3, 2-1 playoffs
Grade: A
The women’s lacrosse team found itself in almost exactly the same position they were in 12 months ago after capturing their fourth straight OUA silver medal this season. Their regular-season record looked better this year thanks to the expanded schedule, and went from 3-3 to 9-3. After their strong regular season, the Gaels beat the Western Mustangs 12-9 in the semifinals to gain a berth in the final against the Laurier Golden Hawks for the fourth straight year. Although they fell 12-5 to the Golden Hawks, it was a season to be proud of. Individual Gaels also picked up awards, with Lisa McLaughlin claiming Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Year and Ruth McArthur winning Most Valuable Defensive Player of the Year. Both were also named OUA first-team all-stars.
Football
Last year: 6-2, 0-1 playoffs
Grade: B+
This year: 8-0, 0-1 playoffs
Grade: A-
The football team was one of the best in the country this year and put up some of the best numbers in Queen’s football history. They shattered a bevy of school records on their way to a perfect 8-0
regular-season campaign that propelled them to No. 2 in the national rankings. They came up short in the playoffs for the second year in a row, though, falling at home to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the OUA semi-finals. Queen’s received four of the six major awards at the OUA level, with head coach Pat Sheahan named Coach of the Year, running back Mike Giffin named the conference’s Most Outstanding Player, linebacker Thaine Carter named Defensive Player of the Year and defensive end Osie Ukwuoma chosen as Lineman of the Year. The Gaels also led all Ontario universities with 10 players selected as OUA first-team all-stars and six more named to the second team.
Men’s Rugby
Last year: 5-1-0, 2-1 playoffs
Grade: A-
This year: 5-0-1, 2-1 playoffs
Grade: A-
Posting a season almost identical to last year’s, the men’s rugby team finished first in the OUA East, got to the final and, once again, failed to pull through in the clutch, earning their second straight silver medal. The awards poured in for the Gaels though, as Alistair Clark was named the OUA East’s Most Valuable Player, Scott Kyle was named the Rookie of the Year and Peter Huigenbos was named Coach of the Year. Joining Clark on the list of OUA East All-Stars were Tom Binczyk, Pat Richardson, Tim Richardson, Graeme Dibden and Zach Pancer.
Women’s Soccer
Last year: 8-1-7, 0-1 playoffs
Grade: B
This year: 8-4-2, 1-1 playoffs
Grade: A-
It was always going to be a difficult year for the women’s soccer team given their youth. Only five of the players on their 26-player roster were in their third year of eligibility or higher. Still, the young squad put together an impressive regular-season campaign and finished third in the OUA East. Unlike last year, when they lost at home to the Royal Military College in the first round of the playoffs, the Gaels made no mistake and beat the underdog Nipissing Lakers 2-0. One goal was all that kept them from the OUA Final Four, as they fell 1-0 on the road to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the semi-finals. This team will be one to watch in the future as their young players
gain experience.
Sailing
Last year: Not graded
This year: A-
The sailing team had a strong year, picking up wins against an impressive field at both the Queen’s Open and the McGill Cup. The team also did well against American schools, claiming the Henry Luce Trophy and finishing second at the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA) club championships. The team also came close to qualifying for the War Memorial MAISA overall championship. They competed in multiple events per weekend this year thanks to their team depth, which bodes well for the future.
Men’s Baseball
Last year: 3-9, 1-2 playoffs
Grade: B-
This year: 7-9, 1-2 playoffs
Grade: B+
The men’s baseball team posted a stronger season than last year. The addition of a fourth team to the league contributed to an expanded game schedule, allowing the Gaels a record of 7-9 compared to last year’s 3-9 record. They started off slowly, but improved consistently as their lineup gelled and became a force to be reckoned with. In the playoffs, they fell to the two-time defending Ontario champion Durham Lords in a tight three-game series.
Men’s Golf
Men’s golf
Last year: ninth, Forbes 12th at OUAs but won two tournaments
Grade: C
This year: fifth, Forbes 2nd at OUA, Forbes won three tournaments
Grade: B+
For the men’s golf program, the story has often been that of star Patrick Forbes. Forbes improved his own play this year, finishing second at the OUA championships and winning three tournaments, but he got a great deal of support from his teammates. The Gaels improved from ninth to fifth at the OUA championships and finished in the top three at every
other tournament.
Women’s Cross Country
Last year: 4th and 7th
Grade: A
This year: 6th and 10th
Grade: B
The women’s cross country team dropped significantly in the standings since last season, but stayed in the top 10 in both the provincial and national final standings, finishing sixth at the OUA championship at Fort Henry before rounding out the top 10 at the CIS championships at Laval. Due to injury, Leslie Sexton didn’t repeat her All-Canadian performance from last year, but consistent races from Leah Larocque, Grace Keenleyside, Nadia Tatlow and Elizabeth Miller kept the Gaels above water in the major contests.
Men’s Cross Country
Last year: 3rd at OUAs and 5th
at nationals
Grade: A-
This year: 6that OUAs and didn’t qualify for nationals
Grade: B-
The men’s cross country team was in a rebuilding year this season, using the races more as a chance to provide the team with experience than opportunities to win medals. In the OUA championship race, the Gaels finished short of their own top five goal with a sixth place finish. The team did not enter a full team for the CIS championship race in Laval, but sent two runners to give them experience for next year when Queen’s will host
the championships.
Men’s Lacrosse
Last year: 0-7
Grade: Not graded
This year: 4-6, 0-1 playoffs
Grade: B-
The men’s lacrosse improved by leaps and bounds this year. After last season, where they failed to pick up a single point, they beat both the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and the Carleton Ravens twice in the regular season before losing 10-3 in the first round of the playoffs to the Trent Excalibur.
Women’s Rugby
Last year: 3-2, 0-1 playoffs
Grade: B-
This year: 2-3, 0-1 playoffs
Grade: C
The women’s rugby team had a disappointing season. Though they beat the York Lions and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, they were beaten by the Trent Excalibur in their first game of the season and then beaten by large margins by McMaster and Guelph going into the playoffs. They couldn’t overcome Trent in their second attempt and fell out of the championship hunt at the quarterfinal stage for the second year in a row.
Men’s Soccer
Last year: 6-4-4, 3-1 playoffs
Grade: A-
This year: 4-6-4, 0-1 playoffs
Grade: C-
It was a tumultuous year for the men’s soccer team; they changed coaches late in the off-season for the second time in two years. The team displayed flashes of great potential under new head coach Carlo Cannovan but could never seem to put together a consistent string of wins. There was plenty of talent on the team, though, and their fortunes may improve considerably with time to adjust to a new style of play.
Women’s Field Hockey
Last year: 7-6-1, 1-1 playoffs
Grade: B
This year: 2-9-3, didn’t
make playoffs
Grade: C-
The field hockey team had a disappointing season, finishing tied for second last in Ontario with an accumulated nine points and only scoring 12 goals during the entire season. They didn’t make the playoffs. This season did have two positives for the Gaels. Mary Anne Reid was named an OUA second-team all star, and the opening of the new Tindall Field provided the team with its first home games since 2003.
Men’s Water Polo
Last year: 0-9-1
Grade: D+
This year: 0-10
Grade: F
The men’s water polo team made last year’s bad situation worse this year, as they went the entire season without a single win or tie and finished dead last in
the OUA.
Women’s Water Polo
Last year: 3-5
Grade: B-
This year: 0-8
Grade: F
The women’s water polo team regressed this year, dropping from 3-5 to 0-8. Their closest losses were an 11-6 defeat at the hands of the McMaster Marauders and an 8-3 loss to the York Lions.
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.
