Queen’s Men’s Hockey broke even on the weekend following a shootout win at home and a loss on the road.
The Gaels had a double header weekend, with the first game featuring the Concordia Stingers in the Memorial Centre on Oct. 30, where Queen’s took the match 4-3 in a shootout. The team then took a quick trip to Ottawa to take on the University of Ottawa GeeGees on Nov. 1, where they would lose 5-2.
READ MORE: Gaels hockey sees success at home and on the road
The first period opened with an opportunity for the Gaels, as Stingers forward Jerome Gilbert took a hooking penalty three minutes into the game. Despite only registering one shot during the power play, the Gaels continued to apply pressure. Five minutes later, forward Sam Marburg, ArtSci ’27, put Queen’s on the board with his first goal of the season.
The Gaels and Stingers continued to exchange opportunities throughout the rest of the first, but with only 1:22 left in the period, Concordia was able to capitalize and netted one on a power play, evening the game before intermission.
Tension rose quickly in the second. A minute in, Gaels goaltender Ian Michelone, ArtSci ’29, slid to stop a shot, initiating a scrum in front of his net. Both teams would be penalized on the play.
Forward Yan Gaudreau, ArtSci ’30, took advantage of the ensuing four-on-four, finding a soft area in the middle of the ice and picking the top corner to pull Queen’s into a brief 2-1 lead, before Concordia tied it up again five minutes later.
With half a minute left in the period, the Stingers snuck a goal past Michelone’s toe on a rebound, and the game was tied again, three a side.
The third period was less eventful. Queen’s staved off Concordia’s shots during an interference penalty kill, and soon after, frustration broke out into another scrum, sending both teams back to the four-on-four.
Ultimately, 60 minutes wasn’t enough to break the tie, so the game headed to overtime. Coach Brandon Perry sent out a starting line of Lemieux, Sebbie Johnson, ArtSci ’29, and Derek Hamilton, ArtSci ’27.
Despite both teams trading quality chances, the game would be determined by a shootout.
The first three shooters on the Gaels side were turned away, while Michelone also turned away all three Concordia attempts, meaning the shootout moved into sudden death.
After Michelone stopped the fourth attempt, the Gaels had an opportunity to win the game.
Game two of the weekend had the Gaels get out to a hot start, capitalizing off an to take an early 1-0 lead.
The second period is one the Gaels would want back. The GeeGees were able to capitalize, scoring two on the powerplay of their three unanswered in the period, handing them a 3-1 lead headed into the third.
While the Gaels tried to claw back into the game, the GeeGees suppressed all hope, scoring two in the first three minutes including a short-handed goal. With a 5-1 deficit, the Gaels were able to add a powerplay goal mid-way through the third, but it would be all for naught as the Gaels lost 5-2.
In total, the game featured 25 penalty infractions and 101 penalty minutes between the two teams. The GeeGees led the way with 15 infractions for 54 penalty minutes, while the Gaels had 10 infractions and 47 penalty minutes
The Gaels will look to respond against the McGill Redbirds on Nov. 7 at the Memorial Centre at 7:30 p.m.
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