Attack shines in rout

Laurentian ousted as Gaels secure playoff meeting with Ottawa

Riley Filion netted twice on Wednesday
Image by: Chloe Sobel
Riley Filion netted twice on Wednesday

Five players scored Wednesday afternoon as Queen’s rolled on to the next stage of the playoffs.

The Gaels posted a clean sheet in their first OUA post-season game, dominating the fifth-seeded Laurentian Voyageurs by a score of 6-0 at West Campus Field.

The match came just four days after a 0-0 regular-season tie with the Voyageurs, also a home game.

Queen’s win sets up a rematch with the nationally top-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees in the OUA quarterfinals. The Gaels held Ottawa to a scoreless draw on Sept. 7 and lost 1-0 at home on Oct. 5.

Gunning for their fifth straight trip to CIS nationals, the Gaels scored early and often against Laurentian.

“I thought we were terrific,” said head coach Dave McDowell. “We’ve been telling [people] for a while here to be patient and that it would come, and it came at a good time.”

Fifth-year midfielder Riley Filion scored twice in the victory, netting the game’s first goal in the 14th minute. She’d later add another in the 62nd minute.

Filion’s first goal was quickly followed up by fourth-year defender Melissa Jung, scoring in the 20th minute.

Fifth-year midfielder Alexis McKinty struck just before halftime, tallying in the 45th minute to closing the first half with a 3-0 lead.

In the second half, sophomore striker Brittany Almeida scored in the 58th minute on a cross from fifth-year striker Jennifer Siu.

Rookie midfielder Rachel Radu beat the goalie to score on an empty net in the 64th minute, sealing the blowout win.

Gaels goalkeeper Madison Tyrell was instrumental in the clean sheet, stopping four shots from the Voyageurs.

The Gaels were dominant on the field, keeping the Voyageurs away from the goal and displaying superior teamwork. A refrain throughout the season has been Queen’s inability to convert the chances they create, but there was none of that on Wednesday.

“We picked a good time for us to really put it together,” McDowell said. “A terrific performance, and we’ll need more of that this weekend.

“We’ll try and prepare them for the weekend, but I’m really proud of what the whole group did,” he added. “They were very good today.”

The Gaels will now look to upset top-seeded Ottawa on Sunday, with the winner progressing to the OUA Final Four. The two squads last faced off in the OUA playoffs in 2008 — a 1-0 Gee-Gees victory.

Last November, Queen’s stunned Ottawa in the national semi-finals, winning 4-1 and advancing to the CIS championship.

Tags

Filion, Gaels, Laurentian, McDowell, Women's soccer

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