Rankings don’t always decide the game.
On Jan. 9, the OUA sixth-seeded Queen’s Men’s hockey team upset the second-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees in a 4-3 win at home. The Gaels came out roaring, bringing energy to the ice, unsettling the Gee-Gees’ defence.
With the Gaels occupying a lot of offensive zone time, the tone was set for the game.
At 15:04, Lucas Peric ArtSci ’26, opened the scoring, finding the back of the net off a deflection and shocking the Gee-Gee goalie. The Gee-Gees responded with their own strong offensive play, scoring a goal off the forecheck and trying to win the game.
Queen’s goalie, Tanner Wickware, MIR’26, stayed relentless against the Gee-Gee offence, keeping the score tied going into the second period.
The Gee-Gees came out of the locker room bringing more fire to the ice. As tension grew, a defensive deflection bounced to the stick of Peric for his second goal of the night.
It wasn’t long after that when the Gee-Gees’ sneaked past Wickware, tying the game once again.
Adding to the drama of the game, the Gaels thought they’d scored a power play goal, but it was disallowed due to goalie interference. Motivated by the calls, Queens forced a defensive breakdown, opening the ice for Liam Tanner, Kin ’28, to beat the Gee-Gees’ goalie one-on-one, bringing the score 3-2 going into the third.
Twenty seconds into the final period, Ethan Larmand, ArtSci ’28, back from injury making his season debut, scores off a pass from captain Jack Duff Sci’26, furthering the Gaels’ lead.
The Gee-Gees bounced back and found the net, but had a goal of their own called off due to high stick, keeping the score 4-2. Still playing with determination, the Gee-Gees bridged the gap, making the score 4-3.
Coming down to the wire, a Gaels penalty unnerved the Queen’s crowd with three minutes left. With a strong penalty kill, the Gaels prevailed, protecting home ice, gaining three points off a 4-3 win.
The game showcased the power of the Gael’s faceoff wins, resilience and composure in a heated rivalry. Peric, who finished the night with two goals, was recognized as one of the two Gael’s Athletes of the Week.
To characterize the win as big is an understatement, as the OUA Men’s hockey standings remain tight heading into the last 10 games of the season. The Gaels will be on the road in Montreal to take on McGill and Concordia on Jan. 16 and 17 respectively.
Tags
Lucas Peric, Ottawa Gee Gees, Queen’s Men’s Hockey, Tanner Wickware
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