KINGSTON, Ont. (March 7, 2019) - Saturday night in Kingston the Queen's Gaels (6-1) will battle the Guelph Gryphons (6-2) in the 108th edition of the Queen's Cup at the Memorial Centre. Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm, tickets are available while quantities last at
gogaelsgo.com/tickets and the game can be seen live on
OUA.tv.
It's the second-oldest ice hockey trophy still being awarded, after the Stanley Cup itself. In 1903 the Cup was donated by Queen's University and is awarded annually to the champion of the Ontario and Quebec universities. The Queen's Cup was not presented during the war years of 1915-16, 1916–17, 1917–18, 1918–19, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1943-44. 1944-45.
INSPIRING WORDS FOR THE TRICOLOUR
This week the Gaels have had special guest speakers come talk to the team ahead of the championship on Saturday.
Fred O'Donnell former Boston Bruin and Queen's head coach in 1981, the last time the Gaels won the championship.
The Tragically Hip - Rob Baker and Paul Langlois.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Queen's - The Gaels started out their quest for the Queen's Cup with a 2-0 series sweep of the Concordia Stingers. After taking game one in Kingston the Gaels used double-overtime to win 5-4 after
Liam Dunda put home the series winner.
In the second round, the Gaels drew the top-ranked team in the East the Ottawa Gee-Gees. After each team won on the road to open the series game three saw a wild affair in Ottawa. Mid-way through the third period, both teams entered a 2:40 stretch of pure mayhem. First
Mason Kohn scored to put Queen's ahead at 8:36, just a minute and 10 seconds later Ottawa's Michael Poirier tied the game at 4-4. 22 seconds after that,
Jared Bethune was on the receiving end of a long stretch pass from
Spencer Abraham that
Graeme Brown touched at centre ice. Bethune broke in on the net and fired a shot above Anthony Brodeur's blocker to put the Gaels on top 5-4. After a Gee-Gee penalty, Bethune scored his third of the night only 51 seconds after his second. Off the ensuing face-off, Ottawa got back to within one 17 seconds after Bethune's third with a goal from Jacob Sweeney. After the dust settled the Gaels clamped down defensively and hung on to win 6-5.
In the East final the Gaels once again had to battle a top Ottawa team, this time the Carleton Ravens. Game one went to overtime in Ottawa and the Gaels improved their road playoff record to 4-0 with a
Jaden Lindo OT winner.
The series shifted back to Kingston for game two and after the Ravens scored to get to within one in the second, Bethune sealed the win with a goal for the ages late in the third.
Guelph - The Gryphons road to the Queen's Cup championship saw them start out their opening round in the West with a series sweep of the Windsor Lancers. The first game saw Guelph's Todd Winder score at the 9:00-minute mark of the first overtime period to secure a win. When the series shifted to Windsor, the Gryphons had no troubles with a 4-0 victory.
In the second round, Guelph drew the top-seed in the West the Ryerson Rams. Much like the Gaels series against Ottawa, this one saw the road team win each game in the series. The Gryphons secured the series at Ryerson in game three with a big second period. Trailing 1-0 in the game Guelph scored four straight to take a 4-1 lead. Ryerson added a pair but the Gryphons held on for the series win.
In the West final, Guelph battled with the Western Mustangs for a trip to the Queen's Cup. After Western took game one, the Gryphons stormed back with a huge 6-1 win on home ice to force the series back to London, Ontario for a decisive game three. The finale of the series needed double overtime before Mikkel Aagaard scored in double overtime to put Guelph into the Queen's Cup.
The two teams met just once in the OUA regular seaso with the Gryphons taking a 7-1 win in Kingston.
PLAYOFF PERFORMERS
Slater Doggett - In seven games this playoffs Doggett has 11 points to lead the Gaels offensively. He has registered a point in every game this playoff that Queen's has won. The Gaels only loss in the extra season saw Doggett go scoreless.
Jared Bethune - Bethune scored a hat-trick in the series-clinching game over Ottawa and added a goal of the year candidate to seal the series over Carleton. He now has four goals and four assists in seven playoff games.
Spencer Abraham - The Gaels captain has been consistent throughout the playoffs registering a point in every game but one for the Gaels scoring four goals and adding two assists for six points in his seven games, third in playoff scoring among defencemen.
Justin Fazio - Fazio has started all seven playoff games for the Gaels and leads all goalies (min two starts) with a 0.928 save percentage while sporting a 2.74 goals against.
Mikkel Aagaard - Aagaard leads the playoffs in scoring with eight goals and eight assists in eight games played. Aagard, who hails from Frederikshavn, Denmark, was one of three mid-season additions for the Gryphons and joined Guelph in February after spending the past two seasons playing between the ECHL and AHL.
Todd Winder - Winder started off the playoffs scoring big goals for the Gryphons. He recorded the game-winner in each of their first three games finishing with 11 of his 13 points in their first four games.
Andrew Masters - The Guelph goaltender has started every game this playoff and sports a 2.47 goals against and a 0.907 save percentage. His 22 goals against are the most allowed this playoffs but his 2.47 GAA is second among goaltenders who started at least two games.
LAST TIME HOISTING
The Gaels are hosting the Queen's Cup for the first time since 1981 which is the last time the team has won the championship. The Gaels last competed for the title against the York Lions in 2017 falling to the Lions in Toronto. The Gaels have won six Queen's Cup titles with their first coming in 1904.
For Guelph, the Gryphons last hoisted the Cup in 2014-15 when they defeated UQTR in Guelph with a 4-0 shutout. Guelph has also won six Queen's Cup championships with their first coming in 1975-76.
LETHBRIDGE BOUND
Both teams have qualified for the U SPORTS David Johnston University Cup which runs March 14-17 in Lethbridge Alberta.
