Queen’s women’s hockey stayed red-hot in Windsor this weekend, building on a strong start to their season.
On Nov. 22, the Gaels travelled to Windsor, ON. to face the University of Windsor Lancers. The Lancers entered the game with a 6-6 record and gave Queen’s a strong battle, but in the end, the Gaels took victory in the shootout by a score of 3-2.
Windsor held Queen’s off for most of the first, but with just over two minutes left in the period, Sophie Hudson, Sci ’26, fought to get the puck to Jada Wood, ArtSci ’29. Wood ripped the puck through traffic to find the top-right corner, giving the Gaels a 1-0 lead.
Opening the score gave the Gaels a surge of energy, and it became clear just over a minute later. A strong Queen’s forecheck forced a Windsor giveaway right on the stick of Taya Leonard, Kin ’27, in front of the goal. Leonard made no mistake, tucking the puck just under the crossbar to give the Gaels a 2-0 lead going into the second.
Despite the early deficit, it was clear that Windsor wouldn’t back down. A strong penalty kill by the Lancers midway through the game gave the team confidence to keep fighting. With six minutes left in the period, Windsor’s Rowan Hu came down the wing with speed, finding Keana McKibbin on a two-on-one to cut the Gaels’ lead in half.
In the third period, Queen’s Hudson and Mikayla Cranney, ArtSci ’27, took penalties in quick succession, but the Gaels were able to kill off the ensuing five-on-three to retain the lead. Windsor earned some strong chances, but a strong Gaels defence and a great showing from goaltender Emma Tennant, Sci ’26, kept Queen’s on top.
With six minutes left, though, a point shot bounced its way on net, and the ensuing chance was cleaned up by Windsor’s Elissa Benjamin to tie the game at two.
Both goalies stayed perfect through overtime, with Windsor’s Rebecca Noble weathering many strong Gaels chances. With the game unsolved at the end of overtime, the teams went to a shootout. McKibbin got the puck past Tennant to put Windsor on the board, but Leonard kept it tied with a strong shot in tight.
Benjamin was stonewalled by Tennant, and Cranney followed up for Queen’s, deking her way past Windsor to give the Gaels the edge. Tennant stopped Windsor’s Teagan Pare’s potentially game-saving chance before the puck rolled into the net. The referee ruled it a no-goal, controversially ending the game, but giving the visiting Gaels the win.
Tennant’s 34 saves were a standout performance for Queen’s, as she continues to establish herself as one of the top goaltenders in the nation.
The win keeps Queen’s successful start going, as their 11-2 record eclipses their 1-7 start last year. After the game, the Gaels were ranked third in the nation by U Sports and first in Ontario, further demonstrating the success of the program this year.
Queen’s will seek to keep it rolling with a back-to-back this weekend. They’ll face the University of Ottawa GeeGees on Nov. 28 at home with a 7:30 p.m. E.T. puck drop. That will be followed by an away game against the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold the next day, with puck drop scheduled for 7:15 p.m. E.T.
Tags
Emma Tennant, Jada Wood, Sophie Hudson, Taya Leonard, Windsor Lancers, women's hockey
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