Kingston, Ont. (October 8, 2016) - A timely goal from Harrison Hendrix (Calgary) helped the Gaels (1-1) earn their first win of the season on Thanksgiving Saturday at the Memorial Centre in a 4-2 game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees (0-2).
 
GAME FLOW
Eric Ming (Williamstown, Ont.) led Queen's offence for the second straight game, netting his third and fourth goals of the year in only the second game of the season. The leading scorer for the Gaels last year, Ming put the tricolour ahead 1-0 in the first period on Saturday night, with assists from Ryan Bloom (Calgary, Alta.) and Nevin Guy (Mountain, Ont.).


 

After an Ottawa penalty kill and a high pressure power play led to a shift in momentum, the Gee-Gees tied the game midway through the second on an unassisted tally from Connor Sills. Ming found the back of the net for the second time in the game in the final minute of the middle stanza, with Slater Doggett (Oakville, Ont.) and Eric Margo (North Vancouver, B.C.) earning assists on the play.

With the Gaels leading 2-1 heading into the final frame, the fans at the Memorial Centre were on the edge of their seats as Ottawa looked to mount a comeback. Kevin Domingue provided the tying goal with just over five minutes to play when Marco Azzano found his teammate with a stretch pass to put him in on a breakaway. Domingue finished the play over the glove of Gaels goaltender Jacob Brennan (Bedford, N.S.). With both teams looking for a game-winner, the Gee-Gees thought they found one when the puck crossed the goal-line and whistle blew with about four minutes remaining. The play was waved off after the refs converged and determined the puck had been kicked in. Less than a minute later, Hendrix scored the game-winner for the Gaels, chipping the puck over a stretching Ottawa goalie with his backhand. Luke Bertolucci (Montrose, Ont.) and Spencer Abraham (Campbellville, Ont.) earned assists on the Hendrix goal, while Doggett scored an empty netter short handed to diffuse the pressure in the final minute of play.

Brennan earned the win for Queen's in goal with 22 saves, while his Ottawa counterpart Graham Hunt had a 32 save performance in the loss. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS
1 - Nevin Guy and Luke Bertolucci both recorded their first CIS points
5 - Eric Ming and Slater Doggett are tied atop the OUA scoring chart with 5 points each
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels have one game at the Memorial Centre on Queen's Homecoming Weekend, hosting the Nipissing Lakers at 7:30pm.