On Wednesday night, Queen's Men's Hockey welcomed hometown rival RMC for a high-stakes clash that kicked off with intensity from the very first puck drop. The Gaels wasted no time making a statement—just 40 seconds in, Ante Zlomislic (Applied Science) finished off a beautiful cross-ice feed from Derek Hamilton (Arts & Science), snapping a low glove-side shot past the RMC netminder to give Queen's an early 1–0 edge.
The first period saw Queen's controlling the pace, cycling the puck effectively and creating multiple scoring opportunities. RMC struck back midway through the frame on a 2-on-0 breakaway, tying the game at 1–1. Despite sustained pressure, the teams headed into the first intermission deadlocked.
In the second, Queen's kept the pressure relentless, peppering the RMC net with chances. Their persistence paid off at 7:48, when Liam Tanner (Kinesiology) buried a rebound to put the Gaels ahead. RMC answered in dramatic fashion, sneaking a goal in the final seconds of the period to tie it once again, setting up a decisive third frame.
The final period was a gritty, physical battle, with both sides trading heavy hits and controlling shifts up and down the ice. Queen regained the lead on a sharp shot from Derek Hamilton (Arts & Sciences), assisted by Michael Renwick (Arts & Sciences), making it 3–2. The Gaels closed out the game with an end-to-end empty-net goal from Cameron Tolnai (Business), with a second assist going to Michael Renwick (Arts & Sciences), sealing a 4–2 victory.
Next up: Queen's Gaels Men's Hockey returns to the Memorial Centre this Friday to face the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. Puck drops at 7:30 PM.