The men’s hockey team was eliminated from the OUA playoffs on Friday night after losing 5-1 to the McGill Redmen at the Memorial Centre.
After winning game one 3-2 on Wednesday night in Montreal, the Redmen scored three first-period goals to kill off game two and complete the first-round sweep.
“We made three mistakes and they jumped on us,” Gaels head coach Brett Gibson said. “It was game over after that.”
Queen’s trailed 3-0 after the first period, 4-0 after the second, and 5-0 in the third before forward Jordan Soquila scored a consolation goal.
After Wednesday’s game, Gibson told the Journal the Gaels kept it close because they played in five-minute increments. But he said his team didn’t bring the same focus in game two.
“I knew we weren’t in it in the first period and that it would take a lot to get our heads focused,” he said. “When you play a team that’s only lost four games all year, you can’t think ‘play 60 minutes and we’ll beat them’ because it might not happen.”
Redmen forwards Christophe Longpré-Poirier, Nicolas Biniek and Guillaume Langelier-Parent all scored first-period goals, while forward Max Langelier-Parent scored McGill’s fourth in a second period that was marred by penalties – the two teams combined for 66 penalty minutes in 20 minutes of play.
At the end of that period, Gaels defenceman Patrick McEachen and Redmen forward Francis Verreault-Paul were both ejected for fighting. Verreault-Paul had to be forcibly removed from the ice by the referees.
The Redmen finished the regular season top of the OUA East with 46 points, while the Gaels were eighth on 28 points. The Redmen beat the Gaels 3-2 and 6-0 in November.
This is the third straight season the Gaels have lost in the first round of the OUA playoffs. After the game, Gibson said he sent a message to his younger players.
“[I told them] you better come to training camp [next season] ready to play because I’m going out recruiting,” he said.
Friday’s loss marked the end of captain Jon Lawrance’s five-year career at Queen’s. Gibson said he won’t be able to replace him.
“Jon Lawrance will go down as one of the greatest hockey players to play at Queen’s,” he said.
Lawrance said the Gaels lost because of mental mistakes on Friday night.
“We made a couple of soft plays and gave them a couple of soft goals,” he said. “Against a team that good, it’s tough to do that.”
Tags
brett gibson, Jon Lawrance, Men's hockey
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