The party was alive in Kingston for Queen’s Homecoming, but visitors at Richardson Stadium weren’t interested in being polite guests.
The Gaels’ men’s football team took a tough 31-28 loss to the University of Windsor Lancers on Oct. 18. With the loss, the Gaels fell to 5-3, with Windsor taking the third seed from Queen’s right before the OUA playoffs.
Students and alumni packed the stands, with Queen’s reporting a turnout of 922 Gaels. Early on, though, a rouge and back-to-back field goals from Windsor’s Brady Lidster made it clear that the Lancers weren’t in Kingston to party. The offence was paired with a smothering defence from the visitors, with little room for the Gaels to work.
Things looked tough, and the crowd went quiet, until an interception caught by Jacob Baldwin, ArtSci ’28, deep in Windsor’s zone left the crowd roaring. Queen’s offense responded accordingly, with two quick plays setting up a rush for Anthony Lio, Kin ’27, to tie the game.
In the second, Queen’s added a rouge to take an 8-7 lead. Then, a long drive for Windsor, highlighted by a 46-yard rush for the Lancers’ Weabge Mombo, gave the visitors a crucial touchdown, giving them a 13-8 lead going into halftime.
The festivities at halftime kept the crowd excited, but no performance could match what receiver Cedric Smith, ArtSci ’26 pulled off in the third quarter. After a strong rush from Jared Chisari, MSc ’26, Alex Vreeken, Kin ’26, found Smith with a quick pass. As a lone Gael in the middle of six hungry Lancers, Smith somehow managed to shift through the pack and reach the end zone for a highlight-reel 50-yard touchdown to take the lead.
Unfortunately, the fun times didn’t last, all thanks to an excruciating drive from the Lancers that spanned over eight minutes, featuring 13 plays, and ending in a touchdown. A Lancers penalty gave the Gaels a lifeline, and they found a second when a Windsor punt-return fumble was recovered by Queen’s deep in the visitor’s zone. With the lead in clear view, Vreeken made a quick throw, but was painfully intercepted at the one-yard line by the Lancers at the end of the third.
It didn’t take long for Vreeken to recover. He led a 75-yard drive before finding a gap to score a crucial rushing touchdown to open the fourth quarter. Their ensuing two-point conversion attempt failed, but the Gaels still took a 25-21 lead. A field goal from Tyler Mullen, ArtSci ’26, gave Queen’s a 28-21 lead, but a long Windsor drive tied the game at 28 with three minutes left. With the ball back in the Gaels’ hands, Windsor’s defense was smothering, forcing Queen’s to punt.
The push by Windsor wasn’t pretty by any means, but after seven short plays and an illegal contact penalty against Queen’s reset the downs, the Lancers were comfortable putting out kicker Brady Lidster. Lidster attempted a lofty field goal from 43 yards, and the conversion left the home crowd silent.
With less than thirty seconds to erase the 31-28 deficit, the Gaels put together some promising plays, but it just wasn’t enough. The Lancers took the win, with one player taking it upon himself to wave goodbye to the alumni in the stands.
After the game, Queen’s Head Coach Steve Snyder commended the Lancers’ effort. “They’re very competitive, extremely physical, and they came to play today,” Snyder said in a media availability. “I think their defensive line was probably the main difference in this game.”
He added that the game would be a strong learning experience for the team. “Sometimes in football, losing can be very good,” Snyder said. “It lets you analyze a little deeper, hold yourself accountable, and pay attention to the little things that get overlooked with a win.”
Absent from the field for the third game in a row was star linebacker Justin Pace. Pace was suspended indefinitely for a month after a controversial hit on Waterloo quarterback Nick Orr on Sept. 20. The OUA remained cryptic about his status, but on Oct. 20, the OUA announced that Pace’s suspension was for the remainder of the regular season, making him eligible to return for Queen’s playoff run.
Snyder’s squad intends to use the experience as motivation for the playoffs. “Our football team is going to defend Richardson and protect Queen’s,” he said, referring to the post-game antics from Windsor. “They’re going to play as hard as they can to represent the university and the city.”
Vreeken echoed the same sentiment, expressing appreciation for the fans, but he added that the job doesn’t end at Homecoming. “We need everyone to come out,” he said in the media availability, anticipating his team’s home playoff game next week. “It’s ‘FOCO,’ but delay your activities [and come to the game].”
The fourth-ranked Gaels will face the fifth-ranked McMaster University Marauders in the opening round of the OUA playoffs. The game will take place at Richardson Stadium on Oct. 25 at 1 p.m., and the Gaels will look for a rerun of their dominant win against McMaster in week two of the season.
Tags
Gaels, Homecoming, Lancers, richardson stadium
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Bill Jast
Your writing has a way of resonating with me on a deep level. It’s clear that you put a lot of thought and effort into each piece, and it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.
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Carmelo Iskander
Nice recap — clear and to the point. Any idea what changed in the lineup that might have cost them the win? Also curious if attendance or weather played a part, seemed like a tight game to drop at Homecoming.