TEAM PLAYED HARD, BUT COULDN’T SCORE ON GAELS
On Nov. 10, the men’s hockey team faced off against the Queen’s University Gaels at the Minto Recreation Complex. It was a great defensive matchup but the team was unable to win in a 2-0 game.
The first period was tough for both teams to get anything going. The period started with a lot of hits on both sides, one of which knocked the helmet off an opposing Gael. Defender Anson McMaster got a two-minute minor penalty but the penalty kill unit was able to hold off Queen’s power play unit. The Gees were unable to leave their own zone, playing defensively for most of the period. Every chance the team got in the opposing zone, they just could not capitalize.
Both goalies were able to pull off athletic saves and put their teams on their backs. There was a lot of board play and hits near the end of the ice. There were big scraps at the end that came from Gaels dogpiling on goaltender Frankie Lapenna, and then when a Queen’s player had a late body check on a Gee-Gees player.
The second period was even more hard on the team. It started with Gees captain Anthony Poulin getting a two-minute minor for hooking and the team was on the penalty kill, albeit struggling. The penalty kill unit was able to kill it off the penalty but the team still looked lost in the offensive zone as the Gaels were playing great defense.
Even when the team got a power play due to a two-minute minor on Queen’s, the power play unit was only able to get one shot on goal. Forward Max Grondin recieved a two-minute minor, which led the Gaels to scoring on their power play.
“I’d have to say both in the sense that us maybe not executing against a tight checking team,” Head Coach Patrick Grandmaitre said about the offensive efforts. “[Gaels’] defense is really tight, really big. They stick to their systems….And it felt like we were under pressure at times, we didn’t deal well with the pressure. They’re a good team, you’ve got to give them credit..”
The third period of the match was a slight improvement for the Gees’ offense , but the game was still hard to watch. The team was in their zone more but the lack of finishing is what killed the chance of a comeback.
Goalkeeper Lapenna was still holding his own with big saves, especially during the four-on-four as both teams took two-minute minors. The team did their best, but Lapenna was pulled in the last minute for a last-ditch effort to tie the game up with an extra attacker on the ice. However, this move resulted in the Gaels scoring an empty net goal to seal the game 2-0.
