Kingston, ON – The Queen's Gaels Women's Hockey Team delivered a commanding performance at the Memorial Centre on Friday night, shutting out the Toronto Varsity Blues 4-0 to earn their first home victory of the season. Fueled by stellar goaltending from Emma Tennant (Mechanical Engineering) and a balanced offensive attack, the Gaels improved to 3-7 on the season.

The Gaels set the tone early, controlling possession in the first period and breaking the deadlock in the final seconds. Rebecca Thompson (Environmental Science) connected with Carys Collie (Life Sciences), who split the defense and slipped a backhander through the five-hole for the opening goal. Queen's carried a 1-0 lead into intermission despite early turnover struggles in their own zone.

Toronto ramped up the pressure in the second period, but Tennant remained unshakable, making several key saves in traffic. Queen's doubled the lead midway through the frame when Mikayla Cranney (Arts & Science) capitalized on a Toronto giveaway, blasting a point shot past the Varsity Blues' netminder for the defender's third goal of the season.

The Gaels' relentless pursuit continued into the third period. Sarah Campbell (Law) extended the lead, finishing a perfectly timed pass from Thompson and Emily Debrouwer (Kinesiology). Special teams played a pivotal role late in the game, with Queen's converting on the power play as Thompson rifled a one-timer off a feed from Collie to secure the 4-0 victory.

Tennant's performance between the pipes was the backbone of the Gaels' success, as the goaltender recorded a 26-save shutout—her first of the season—dropping her goals-against average to 1.98 and raising her save percentage to an impressive .938.

Queen's penalty kill also shined, thwarting all five Toronto power-play opportunities. The Gaels' power play capitalized on one of four chances, bringing their season efficiency to 21%, now among the top in the OUA.

The win not only snapped Queen's three-game losing streak against the Varsity Blues but also showcased emerging contributions from key players like Campbell and Cranney, who have been pivotal in recent games. The Gaels look to build on this momentum as they host the Carleton Ravens at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Memorial Centre. Fans can catch the action live on OUA.tv.