The Gaels’ hockey teams’ new homes proved unlucky this weekend. The women’s team lost 1-0 to the Windsor Lancers Saturday night at Kingston’s Memorial Centre, and tied the Western Mustangs 3-3 at Napanee’s Strathcona Paper Centre the next morning.
Due to the loss of Jock Harty Arena to construction, the hockey teams will be splitting their home games between the Memorial Centre and the Strathcona Paper Centre in Napanee this season.
The Gaels’ new head coach, Rob Lalonde, said he was unhappy with the Gaels’ early play on Saturday.
“We got off to a rather slow start in the first period—a horrible first period, I thought,” he said. “You can’t play just two periods of hockey and expect to win many games, so we’ve got to come out stronger in the first period.”
Queen’s outshot Windsor 19-14 in the game, including an 8-0 shot differential in the third period.
Windsor played a rough game, and took 14 penalty minutes to the Gaels’ two.
Lalonde said he expected the Lancers to be aggressive.
“Windsor’s always been a physical team,” he said.
“This referee likes to let them play—there were a couple of pretty obvious bodychecks, one he called and one he let go, and we’ve got to be ready for a tough game
like that.”
The Gaels’ power play appeared to have blown a fuse Saturday night, as they were unable to convert while the Lancers were in the penalty box. Lalonde said the power play’s performance concerned him.
“I think we’ve got to work on it. We didn’t generate a lot of good scoring opportunities from our power play,” he said.
“We got a lot more power-play opportunities, and special teams win you games.”
Forward Liz Kench, last year’s OUA Rookie of the Year, said past experience helped the Lancers defend against Queen’s power play, which was using an
umbrella strategy.
“That power play is usually very successful,” she said. “I think they know from last year, they read it, they know the umbrella, that’s the way it works.”
Kench said Queen’s couldn’t handle Windsor’s speed.
“They were just playing faster than us,” she said. “They were beating us to all the pucks in the corners. We have the potential to be like that, but we came out a little bit flat.”
Forward Cassie Sparks, team captain this year, said the first period was the Gaels’ biggest problem.
“We really came out flat-footed,” she said. “We picked it up in the second and third periods. Coming out of the second period … we were pressing them hard. We felt that we were definitely going to take it to them.”
Sparks said the team needed to drive the net more and screen the opposing goalie.
“The goalie was seeing everything,” she said.
Goalie Melissa John made 14 saves for the Gaels.
John said a strong start would be key for the Gaels in their next games.
“We have to come out of the gates really hard,” she said.
John said she has high hopes for the year.
“We have a very strong team, stronger than in the past years,” she said. “We’ve definitely made additions on defence now, and I think that’s exactly what we need to go to CIS [the national championships].” In Sunday’s game, the team came out strong, with a quick goal from forward Mary McNeill less than four minutes into the opening period. In the second period, power-play goals by forward Kelsey Thomson and defender Chantelle Johnson put the Gaels up 3-0.
Western refused to go down without a fight, though, and stormed back with two quick goals to make the score 3-2 going into the final period.
In the third, Western outshot Queen’s 17-7, and their efforts were rewarded when Western forward Whitney Weissharr tied the game with less than three minutes left.
Western continued to press during the five-minute overtime period, but Queen’s goalie Katie Boyd kept the Gaels alive with some crucial saves. The Mustangs thought they had won on a goal by forward Melanie Harshaw in overtime, but it was disallowed due to a high stick and the game finished 3-3.
Lalonde said the game was largely an improvement on Saturday night’s performance.
“We played better today than we did yesterday as far as handling their forecheck, moving the puck, and actually creating some offensive opportunities and scoring some goals,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t stay terribly well defensively.”
Lalonde said he was unhappy that the Gaels allowed Western to make a comeback.
“It was a little disappointing,” he said. “We were up 3-0. It’s hard to be up 3-0 and let it slip away and end up with a tie. I felt like we let that one get away.”
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