Men’s hockey wins 32nd Carr-Harris Cup

Gaels’ Darcy Greenaway pots the game winner in overtime in wild back-and-forth game

Queen’s has won nine of their last 11 games.
Image by: Amanda Norris
Queen’s has won nine of their last 11 games.

Prior to the 132nd rendition of the Carr-Harris Cup, men’s hockey head coach Brett Gibson made it very clear that the annual game is unlike any other in the regular season.

“I don’t think there’s an underdog in a game that’s one game and for [one] trophy,” Gibson told reporters during a Wednesday afternoon press conference at the ARC.

And he was right.

We’ve got ourselves a real barn-burner here ladies and gentlemen. We are headed to overtime.

— QJ Sports (@QJsports) February 2, 2018

Queen’s competed with the RMC Paladins on Thursday night at the K-Rock Centre to the bitter end, with the Gaels ultimately winning 6-5 in overtime. Fifth-year Darcy Greenaway was the hero in the end, scoring the winner in a game that had playoff implications for both teams.

The game gave everything sports have to offer — highs, lows, shocking comebacks and, as one would expect from a 132 year-old rivalry, a palpable sense of tension.

“You got good goals, big hits and two teams competing hard … it was a great game,” Gibson told The Journal after the win.

The Gaels were on the offensive early with a Ryan Bloom goal at the top of the right circle. By the end of the first frame, the Gaels led the Paladins 3-1 — a lead that would be swiftly squandered 10 minutes into the second period.

After trading goals in the third, the two teams went to overtime tied up at 5-5. Just under a minute and a half into the extra frame, Gaels forward Darcy Greenaway flew down the left side of the rink, and sped into RMC’s goaltender and got a shot off in tight. Unable to slide it in, Greenaway collected his own rebound and picked the bottom of the right corner, in effect grabbing a win for Queen’s.

Darcy Greenaway FLIES in on a #greenawaybreakaway and finishes the game. Gaels take the 32nd installation of the Carr-Harris Cup 6-5.

— QJ Sports (@QJsports) February 2, 2018

As Greenaway sped toward centre ice in full celebration, the crowd of 3,524 in the arena went into complete and utter pandemonium.

The turnout for the game was a Carr-Harris Cup record, breaking the previous record of 3,363 set in 2016. For Gibson, the game served as a showcase of his hockey program — something that rarely happens for a team that often plays for just over 100 people.

M – What — A — GOAL!! Greenaway wins it for QUEEN’S #CarrHarrisCup #OUA #USPORTS pic.twitter.com/sA5khYLns2

— Queen’s Gaels (@queensgaels) February 2, 2018

“If the people who were at this game tonight don’t come next year, I’ll be shocked,” Gibson said. “The entertainment value was huge. The atmosphere was fantastic.”

@RMCMensHockey @queensgaels This Carr-Harris Cup game is incredible.

— Keri L. Kettle (@KeriLKettle) February 2, 2018

The game came at a crucial point for both teams as the regular season heads into its final stages. Queen’s — who is nationally-ranked ninth — finds itself in a tight race with Carleton and Concordia for second place in the OUA, while RMC is trying to fight its way into the OUA playoffs.

“I think we’re one of the hottest teams in the OUA right now and we want to finish as high as we can,” Gibson said, who was quick to credit RMC with putting up a tough battle.

“Commitment — that’s what the military is about. [RMC] committed to playing hard and they pushed us to the limit there.”

The Gaels’ ability to stay focused despite losing multiple leads throughout the night was Gibson’s silver lining at the end of the game. He added it’s something he believes will help his team going into the playoffs.

“You know what, I give credit to our guys and we could have packed it in and came back another day — but we didn’t,” Gibson said.

The win was the Gaels’ ninth in their last 11 with just three games of the regular season remaining. A second-place finish in their division would give Queen’s home-ice advantage up until the OUA finals if they were to get there.

“Every point is important and we’re climbing, so that’s the good news,” Gibson said.

Tags

Carr-Harris Cup, Darcy Greenaway, Men's hockey, RMC Paladins

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