Oshawa, Ont. (Nov. 17, 2024) – The Queen's Gaels men's hockey team delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks Saturday night, led by exceptional goaltending from
Christian Purboo (Arts & Science) and a strong team effort on special teams. With the win, Queen's improves to 11-3-0 on the season and moves into sole possession of second place in the OUA East standings.
The Gaels opened the scoring late in the first period when
Lucas Peric (Economics) buried his first goal of the season, assisted by
Derek Hamilton (Arts & Science) and
Daniel Michaud (Arts & Science). Just moments later, Queen's doubled its lead on the power play as
Owen Lalonde (Arts & Science) unleashed a point shot to make it 2-0. Lalonde's tally was set up by
Holden Katzalay (Computing) and
Cameron Tolnai (Business), capitalizing on a Ridgebacks penalty.
Queen's carried the momentum into the second period, maintaining relentless forechecking and effective puck movement. Midway through the frame, Tolnai extended the Gaels' lead to 3-0, finishing a crisp passing sequence involving
Nolan Hutcheson (Health Studies) and Katzalay on the power play.
The Gaels sealed the win early in the third period when Hamilton scored his second goal of the season, redirecting a setup from Michaud and Katzalay. Katzalay's playmaking ability was on full display, earning three assists on the night and cementing a standout performance.
Defensively, Queen's was anchored by Purboo, who turned aside all 36 shots he faced to record the shutout, improving his save percentage to .931 and goals-against average to 2.07—both among the top in the OUA. The penalty kill was another bright spot, stifling all four of Ontario Tech's power-play opportunities.
The victory marks a significant response for the Gaels, who avenged a loss to the Ridgebacks earlier this season and maintained their strong form heading into the season's midway point. Queen's will look to continue its momentum Wednesday night at the Memorial Centre, hosting the RMC Paladins in a matchup of historic rivals.
