Queen's Women's Hockey saw its season come to an end in the OUA quarterfinals, falling 2-1 to the Nipissing Lakers in Game 2 of their first-round series. Despite a determined defensive performance and strong goaltending from Emma Tennant (Mechanical Engineering), the Gaels were unable to force a deciding Game 3.
With their backs against the wall after a 5-2 loss in Game 1, Queen's looked to set the tone early. However, Nipissing capitalized on quick offensive opportunities, striking just 1:34 into the first period as Tessa Kosec opened the scoring. Less than three minutes later, Malory Dominico doubled the Lakers' lead, putting the Gaels in an early hole.
Queen's responded later in the frame, taking advantage of a power play opportunity. At 16:09, Kelsey Dunn (Kinesiology) found the back of the net off a setup from Sara Di Filippo (Concurrent Education/Arts) and Logan Biggs (Arts & Science), cutting the deficit to 2-1. Despite generating sustained offensive pressure in the latter half of the period, the Gaels were unable to find the equalizer before intermission.
Both defenses tightened up in the final two periods, as neither team was able to break through. Tennant stood tall in net, making multiple key stops to keep the Gaels within striking distance. Queen's pushed hard for the tying goal in the third, earning a late power play opportunity. Despite quality chances from Dunn and Rebecca Thompson (Environmental Science), the Lakers held firm. With Tennant pulled for the extra attacker in the final minute, Queen's generated a flurry of chances but couldn't find the back of the net.
Tennant finished the night with 16 saves on 18 shots, capping off a standout season where she led the OUA in total saves. Dunn's goal marked her second tally of the postseason, while Di Filippo and Biggs provided key offensive contributions.
With the loss, Queen's concludes its 2024-25 campaign after a hard-fought playoff battle. The Gaels showcased resilience throughout the season and will look to build on their progress heading into next year.
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