Football Gaels aiming for breakthrough win

Football Gaels aiming for breakthrough win

October 10, 2014

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[Gaels football Alex Carroll]
Queen's Gaels receiver Alex Carroll runs with the ball after making a catch against the Western Mustangs. (Photo by John Sheahan)

The Queen's Gaels are in action at home and across the country this weekend. Here's a rundown of when and where to catch your Gaels in action.

Football

This Gaels football team is back in action against the Toronto Varsity Blues at 1 pm on Saturday at Richardson Stadium. Two weeks ago, Queen's gave McMaster a scare in Hamilton at their homecoming game. Throughout the game, the Gaels had high defensive pressure, which resulted in Corey Flude recovering a Marauders fumble, halting a McMaster attack. Alex Carroll picked up a touchdown on a pass from Billy McPhee, who also completed 21-of-29 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns, throwing one interception. The last time the Gaels saw Toronto was two years ago when they beat them 35-7, shutting Toronto out of the OUA playoffs in the final league game of the season. Coming off a bye last weekend, Queen's has been preparing for the Thanksgiving match against Toronto, who sits just ahead of the Gaels in OUA standings.

Women's Rugby

The No. 4 Gaels women’s rugby team will be taking on York this Friday at 5 pm on Nixon Field in their first game of the OUA playoffs. Last week the Gaels finished their season off strong with a win 50-19 over the Western Mustangs. Queen's had big nights from Lauren McEwen , who reached 101 points for this season with her try and four conversions, and Gillian Pegg, who added three tries to the winning score. Having already beat York 62-12 earlier this season, the Gaels will enter the quarterfinals in a good position to defend their OUA title.


Men's Rugby

The Gaels men’s rugby team heads to Toronto to take on the Varsity Blues at 7 pm on Friday at the Varsity Centre. Last weekend, Queen's defeated the previously unbeaten Guelph Gryphons 33-17 on Nixon Field. With a try from Teddy Taggart and a quick response from the Gryphons, Queen's trailed 17-12 at halftime. The Gaels answered back in the second half with three more tries and a consistent effort from David Worsley finishing the game with four conversions. The Gaels last saw the Varsity Blues two years ago, winning in a huge 93-0 shutout. With only a few games left in the regular season, Queen's is gearing up for playoffs.

Women's Hockey

The No. 3 Gaels women’s hockey team kicks off its season with a pair of home games, playing Nipissing on Saturday and Laurentian on Sunday, with both games scheduled for 2:30 pm at the Memorial Centre. Queen's finished off their pre-season strong, topping Brock 5-1 and outshooting the Badgers 36-18. Last season, Queen's came close to defending their championship title, but lost to Wilfred Laurier in the third-place game of the OUA Finals. With a good mix of talented newcomers and seasoned returnees, the Gaels will be gunning for the OUA title this season.

Men's Hockey

This Friday the Gaels men’s hockey team starts its 2014-2015 regular season by hosting the No. 9 McGill Redmen in a home opener at 7:30 pm at the Memorial Centre. Last year, Queen's set a new franchise record, going 12-0-5 to start the season. The Gaels climbed as high as seventh in the CIS rankings during the 2013-14 season. With a young team for the upcoming year, veterans Corey Bureau, Tyler Moore, and Kelly Jackson will be instrumental in keeping the Gaels on track. The Gaels will also be looking to the starting goaltender Kevin Bailie, who, last season, drew national attention, collecting the CIS Rookie of the Year among other awards.

Men's Soccer

The No. 10 Queen's men’s soccer team hosts No.4 Ryerson on Saturday at 3:15 pm and the Toronto Varsity Blues on Sunday at 3:15 pm on Miklas-McCarney Field. The last time the Gaels saw Ryerson and the Varsity Blues, the weekend ended with two Queen's losses and a pair of Gaels receiving red cards. This weekend will be a tough battle for the Gaels, but with only three games left in their regular season they have to make every game count as they chase Ryerson in the standings.

Women's Soccer

The Gaels host Ryerson in women’s soccer on Saturday at 1 pm and the Toronto Varsity Blues on Sunday at 1 pm in a pair of games on Miklas-McCarney Field. Last weekend fourth-year captain Jessie de Boer continue on her scoring streak, netting two goals against Laurentian on Saturday and another against Nipissing on Sunday. De Boer has scored seven goals in the last five games. Entering their season-ending four-game homestand, Queen's will be getting prepared for the start of the OUA playoffs in just two weeks.

Cross Country

The Gaels host the Queen's Invitational on Fort Henry Hill, the final race before the OUA Championships which will be held on the same course. The cross country teams jostled for position in the CIS rankings this week, with the women advancing to No. 6 and the men dropping to No. 9.

Rowing

The Gaels head to St. Catharines to compete at the Brock Invitational on Saturday, starting at 9 am, in the final competition before the OUA Championships. Last weekend the Head of the Trent Regatta was an exciting race for the Gaels, as Queen's picked up nine medals in Peterborough.

Women's Volleyball

The Queen's women’s volleyball team started the McMaster Thanksgiving Classic with a five-set victory over Guelph, winning 25-20, 13-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-10. The team will play RMC or McMaster on Friday and a final match to be determined by tournament play on Saturday.

Men's Volleyball

The Gaels men’s volleyball team heads to the Maritimes to take on the University of New Brunswick and Dalhousie in a total of four exhibition games. Queen's will play in Fredericton against the Varsity Reds on Friday at 8 pm and Saturday at 2:30 pm, before they head to Halifax to take on the Tigers on Sunday at 2 pm and Monday at 1 pm.

Men's Basketball

The Gaels men’s basketball team opened the Naismith Invitational Tournament in Waterloo Thursday night with a thrilling 83-81 win over Nipissing. They face the hosts Friday at 8 pm, and Grant MacEwan on Saturday at 2 pm.