Men’s hockey took home a win through a tough back-to-back weekend.
The Gaels took on the Carleton University Ravens at home on Nov. 21, followed by a matchup against the Concordia University Stingers in Kingston the next day. They took a commanding 6-2 win over the Ravens but dropped a 3-0 loss against the rested Stingers.
To open the first game, Queen’s played like they were shot out of a cannon. Six minutes into the game, Liam Tanner, Kin ’28, took advantage of an early power play, ripping a shot in the top-left corner to take the lead. Three minutes later, Sebbie Johnson, ArtSci ’29, got in on the action, scoring his fourth of the season after pickpocketing the Ravens’ defence and sliding a backhand shot past the goalie.
With two minutes left in the first period, a pass from Aiden Castle, ArtSci ’29 found Nolan Hutcheson, ArtSci ’26, all alone in front of the net, and he proceeded to fire a missile into the Ravens’ net to give Queen’s a 3-0 lead going into the second frame.
At the start of the second period, a penalty to Dharan Cap, Sci ’26, allowed Carleton to find their way back in the game. The Ravens set up on the power play, and Braeden Virtue took a crisp one-timer to put Carleton on the scoresheet.
It looked like the Gaels took their foot off the gas pedal, but it wasn’t long before they responded. Six minutes into the second period, a strong forecheck by Ante Zlomislic, Sci ’28, forced the puck to Derek Hamilton, ArtSci ’27, who snuck the puck over the Carleton goaltender’s glove to give Queen’s a 4-1 lead.
A hooking penalty called on Castle put the Ravens back on the man advantage, where they took advantage again. Carleton’s power play set up David Fournier, who roofed a shot in tight to cut the Gaels’ lead to 4-2. It took just 11 seconds for Queen’s to respond, though, as a patient Johnson looped behind Carleton’s net before finding Michael Renwick, ArtSci ’26, to extend Queen’s lead to 5-2.
With nine minutes left in the game, another deadly Gaels forecheck came through, as a tough effort from Hamilton found Tanner once again, icing the game with a crisp shot to make it 6-2, Queen’s.
Standout 3-point nights for Hamilton and Tanner were joined by a 26-save performance by veteran Tanner Wickware, MIR ’26, as the fifth-year continues to be a strong option within head coach Brett Gibson’s three-headed goaltending setup.
In the second half of the back-to-back, though, Queen’s found themselves outmatched by a well-rested opponent. Concordia took control of the game early on Saturday, but the Gaels fought through and showed bright flashes.
With five minutes left in the first period, though, a strange bounce found its way past Wickware to give Concordia the lead. Just two minutes later, a smooth pass from the corner found Concordia’s Jacob Lafontaine right in front of the net, and he snuck the puck through Wickware to double their lead heading into the second period.
The second period was a dogfight, but with five minutes left in the frame, Concordia struck once again. The goal was almost identical to the last one, as the Gaels once again struggled to defend a cross-ice pass from the corner to a wide-open Lafontaine in front of the Gaels’ net.
For the rest of the game, the play remained intense, but Queen’s struggled to get any offence started, spending most of the third period fighting off the Stringers’ efforts. The game ended with the Gaels getting shut out, putting up 16 shots compared to Concordia’s 36.
Wickware remained solid throughout the game despite a heavy workload, having started the day before. It’s clear that the graduate transfer from the University of Guelph has earned the trust of the Gaels, as he seeks to make an impact in his last year of U Sports eligibility.
The 8-8 Gaels are now 1-5 on the second half of back-to-back matchups, with such a workload proving gruelling in an ultra-competitive OUA East. Queen’s earned a top-10 nod at 10th on U Sports’ latest ranking, and are currently ranked 6th in the OUA East standings.
Queen’s will play one more game before the winter break, facing off against the Nipissing University Lakers in North Bay, ON., on Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. E.T.
Tags
Derek Hamilton, Men's hockey, Sebbie Johnson, Tanner Wickware
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