Season grades for fall varsity teams

Journal Sports editors evaluate how Queen’s varsity teams fared this fall

Men's rugby topped our season grades after their perfect, championship winning 2017-18 campaign.
Photo: 
Amanda Norris

This report card followed a highly unscientific grading formula. The criteria for rating teams’ performances was contingent on a simple algorithm: we gauged how teams performed in the regular season and if they were lucky enough, how they shaped up in the playoffs. The wins, losses and unforgettable moments of the varsity season made this grading process overwhelmingly difficult. 

Men’s Rugby: A+

Key Results: OUA Champions, six OUA All-Stars

There isn’t much to say about the men’s rugby team that hasn’t already been said before. The Gaels were the most dominant team in the OUA. With a 9-0 record on the year, men’s rugby featured in their seventh consecutive OUA championship game and won their fifth Turner Trophy in the last six years. Including playoffs, the team amassed 522 total points through nine games — which was 202 more than the year before. Their defense limited teams to a meager 10 points per game and conceded just 91 points on the season. The Gaels also saw six of their players receive OUA All-Star nods for their play in the regular season. 
 
Cross Country: A

Key results: Women’s cross country — U Sports silver, OUA gold

This year, the men’s and women’s cross country teams had high expectations. After spending seven weeks nationally-ranked first, the women’s team came just short of their first ever national gold with their silver medal. This year, the Gaels were led by OUA Champion Branna MacDougall and U Sports silver medalist Claire Sumner. Meanwhile, the men finished fifth in the country at the U Sports Championships and won a bronze medal at the OUA Championships.

Women’s Soccer: A-

Key Results: OUA bronze medal 

The Gaels rode their league-leading regular season offense all the way to a third-place finish at the OUA Championships this fall. The team led the conference with 49 goals, 15 assists and 15.3 shots per game. While third-year forward Jenny Wolever placed first in the OUA for assists (9), points (19) and shots (57), Gaels captain Laura Callender led the OUA with 13 goals. 

Women’s Rugby: A-

Key results: OUA silver, fifth at U Sports championships

Dan Valley’s first season as head coach of the rugby team went as well as he could have asked for. After finishing fourth in the OUA last season, the Gaels had some room to grow — and they did. Following their upset against McMaster in the conference semifinals, Queen’s finished with an OUA silver medal and booked their ticket to Lethbridge, Alberta for the U Sports championships. With a fifth-place finish at nationals, the Gaels proved they are set to be a contender next year. A bright point this season for Queen’s was two-sport athlete Sophie de Goede. She was named Rookie of the Year in her first season as a Gael.

Football: B

Key Results: 6th in OUA; five OUA All-Stars

At the outset of their season, the Gaels looked as if they were headed for a rebuilding year when they opened up 0-4. But their subsequent four-game win streak secured them the OUA’s final playoff spot and salvaged their otherwise lost season. The Gaels finished the regular season at 4-4, with quarterback Nate Hobbs placing first in total passing yards with 2655, 21 passing touchdowns and passing yards per game at 331.9. Third-year wide out Chris Osei-Kusi finished with an OUA-high seven receiving touchdowns and third in yards per game with 90.4.  In the quarter finals, the Gaels loss to 12-9 to the McMaster Marauders.

Rowing: B

Key Results: Women’s rowing — OUA Silver, Men’s rowing — fifth in OUA 

At the OUA Championships, the women improved on their fourth place 2016 performance, earning the silver medal. The men remained similar to last year, finishing fifth in the province for the second consecutive season. At the national championships, Gavin Stone picked up a bronze while Alexander Bernst and Nicholas Grubic brought home silver in the lightweight men’s category. Despite the strong individual showings from the three rowers, the men’s team finished seventh overall while the women came in 12th.

 

Men’s Soccer: C-

Key Results: First-round loss in OUA playoffs

After finishing with their worst record since 2008-09 — at 6-7-3 — the men’s soccer team took a step back this year in terms of progression. Sneaking into the OUA’s last playoff spot, Queen’s lost 2-0 in the first round to Ryerson. Jacob Schroeter’s 12 goals on the year served as a silver lining to the team’s underwhelming season, as he finished third among leading OUA goal scorers. 
 

 

Tags: 
Men's rugby
Women's rugby
Rowing
Men's soccer
Women's soccer
Football

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