Queen's Men's Hockey kicked off their pre-season slate of games on Saturday, defeating their crosstown rivals, the RMC Paladins, 5-2 in the annual Lou Jeffries Scholarship Game in Gananoque, Ont.

The team raised $9200 and 822 people attended the game.

"The Lou Jeffries Scholarship Game means a lot to me personally as the community I grew up in is the one that fund this Scholarship," said Queen's Men's Hockey Head Coach Brett Gibson after the game. "Every year, when I ask the local businesses for support, there is zero hesitation. The citizens of Gananoque have helped 18 different Men's Hockey players at Queen's financially and have continued to remember a incredible human being in Lou."

Trevor Longo (North Vancouver, B.C.), Sam Marburg (North Vancouver, B.C.), Cole Shepard (Vancouver, B.C.), Michael Renwick (Mississauga, Ont.), and Holden Katzalay (West Vancouver, B.C.) all scored for the Gaels in the win.

Aidan Spooner (Maple, Ont.) and Christian Purboo (Oakville, Ont.) split time in net for Queen's and shared the win.

Shepard was also awarded the Lou Jeffries Scholarship at the game.

The annual event honours Jeffries, a strong supporter of hockey in Gananoque and the Queen's Gaels hockey program. Funds generated from the annual game go towards a scholarship.

Jeffries was a dedicated, community-driven volunteer for the town of Gananoque. He was recognized by his love of hockey and his involvement in the Gananoque Minor Hockey Association (GMHA). Jeffries assisted the GMHA for more than 50 years until his death at the age of 75. He is also known for his contribution in bringing Junior B Hockey to Gananoque in 1971. Over his lifetime, Jeffries worked in a number of different roles including Coach, General Manager, President and League Executive for the GMHA and Junior B Gananoque Islanders.