Queen’s soccer hit the ground running, stacking wins in their season openers.
Last weekend, the men’s and women’s teams opened their OUA campaigns with two wins apiece against Laurentian University and Royal Military College. The women’s side opened dominantly this year, dismantling Laurentian 5-0 before rolling past RMC 5-1.
Just five minutes into the game against Laurentian, defender Erin Hedgcock, Comm ‘26, notched her first goal as a Gael. Veteran forward Mattson Strickler, ConEd ’26, scored her first of the year just 25 minutes into the game, quickly followed by Seema Sakran, Kin ‘26, just ten minutes later. Kendra Couto, Sci ’26, opened the scoring for the second half 83 minutes into the game, and first-year Victoria Hawkins, Kin ‘29, quickly followed up two minutes later with her first as a Gael.
The game against RMC saw the emergence of many young players. Peyton Wynn, Sci ’28, notched her first as a Gael just ten minutes into the game, and first-year Beatrice Siniscalco, Kin ’29, scored in her first start at Queen’s five minutes before the end of the first half. Hawkins scored her second goal in as many games as a Gael eleven minutes into the second half, before Couto and Sakran added their seconds of the season. Tatiana Kayrouz, Comm ’27, three assists in two games earned her the nod as one of Queen’s Student-Athletes of the Week.
Women’s Head Coach Dave McDowell, ArtSci/PheKin ’86, ConEd ’87, explains despite missing several of his regular players due to injuries, he was encouraged by how seamlessly the group adapted.
“We were probably missing five or six players who would have played for us this weekend,” McDowell said in an interview with The Journal. “There’s been this tremendous ability to be able to play younger players and for other players to kind of step up and get some early experience in different positions. They’ve done really well.”
Against RMC, the Gaels missed early chances but regrouped at halftime and dominated the second half.
“They came out and really fixed some of the things that had gotten disjointed before halftime,” McDowell said. “It was a tough place to play on their small grass field on a Sunday night, but overall, I have been quite excited by what we have done.”
McDowell praised a large first-year group and pointed to veterans setting standards. “Our first-year class coming in has been really good,” he said. “We’ve got some tremendous fourth- and fifth-year players… that group has really set the tone in terms of culture, set the tone in terms of leadership and are setting the tone on the field as well. They’re the heart and soul of our group.”
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On the men’s side, Gael’s Men’s Head Coach, Kasy Kiarash, guided Queen’s to a flawless start, beating Laurentian 2–1 in the opener before cruising past RMC 5–0.
Against Laurentian, Liam Pender, Comm ’26, opened the scoring before Andrea Gortana, MBA ’26, doubled the lead in the 84th minute. Laurentian converted a late penalty, but the Gaels held on for a statement win against a team that finished three points ahead of them last season.
The RMC match turned into a showcase of Queen’s depth. Gortana struck twice, with both goals coming in the first half. The second half featured goals exclusively from Kiarash’s new recruits. 57 minutes into the game, Matteo Galati, ArtSci ’29, cashed in with his first as a Gael. At minute 69, Jacob Ball, ArtSci ’29, notched his first, quickly followed by a goal from Kenan Hodzic, ArtSci ’29, just two minutes later. Nathan Baker, ArtSci ’29, provided three assists in the 5–0 rout.
For Kiarash, the results were encouraging, but secondary to the bigger project of shaping a new group.
“We knew that if we had playoff aspirations, this was a must-win,” Kiarash said in an interview with The Journal, referring to the Laurentian game. “It was a great test for our guys and a chance for this new group to start building their identity.”
With 14 new players on the roster, he’s stressing patience and perspective. “I think it’s really about not getting ahead of ourselves and just focusing on what’s in front of us,” Kiarash said.
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Both programs now turn their focus to the weeks ahead. McDowell wants his women’s team to be braver in attacking duels and sharper in front of goal, while Kiarash stressed three pillars for the men. “Effort, humility and togetherness… we live those words every single day,” Kiarash said.
Gaels can catch the women’s team as they face off against the TMU Bold at Richardson Stadium on Sept 5 at noon, before they head to Toronto to face off against the Varsity Blues on Sept 7 at 1 pm.
The men already completed their match against the Bold on Thursday night, drawing the game 1-1, but will also face the Varsity Blues in Toronto on Sept 7, taking the field right after the women at 3:15 pm.
Tags
Dave McDowell, Kasy Kiarash, Laurentian Voyageurs, Men’s Soccer, royal military college paladins, Tatiana Kayrouz, Victoria Hawkins, Women's soccer
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