The Queen's Gaels fought to the final second, but a single first-period goal from the Concordia Stingers was enough to end their season in a 1-0 loss in Game 2 of the OUA semifinal series at the Memorial Centre.

Goaltender Christian Purboo (Arts & Science) was sharp once again, turning aside 23 of 24 shots and giving Queen's every opportunity to stay in the game. However, the Gaels' offense struggled to break through a disciplined Concordia defense and a standout performance from Stingers netminder Jordan Hurtubise, who made 28 saves in the shutout.

Both teams came out playing a physical brand of hockey, with Queen's looking to set the tone early through big hits from Sam Marburg (Arts & Science) and Kolton Cousins (Arts & Science). Despite a strong opening push, the Gaels found themselves on the penalty kill midway through the period, where a blocked shot from Ante Zlomislic (Arts & Science) and a key interception from Cameron Tolnai (Commerce) helped keep the game scoreless.

Concordia broke through at the 10-minute mark, capitalizing on a slot wrister from Edouard Charron to take a 1-0 lead. The Stingers controlled much of the period's pace from that point, limiting Queen's to minimal offensive pressure.

Queen's pushed hard for the tying goal in the second period, nearly finding it on a cross-crease chance that was denied by a sprawling save from Hurtubise. Cousins continued to throw his weight around, looking to ignite the Gaels' attack, while defensemen Michael Renwick (Commerce) and Lucas Peric (Arts & Science) began generating more looks from the point.

A tripping penalty sent Queen's to its first power play of the night, but the Stingers' aggressive penalty kill prevented any sustained pressure. The Gaels were later forced to kill a penalty of their own, with Purboo making a huge post-to-post save to keep the deficit at one. Despite outshooting Concordia 8-7 in the period, Queen's still trailed heading into the third.

With the season on the line, Queen's came out firing in the final frame, generating a pair of high-danger chances that either missed just wide or were turned aside. Cousins' aggressive play resulted in a Concordia penalty, giving the Gaels another power play opportunity. On the ensuing powerplay, multiple point blast chances from Renwick and Peric were swallowed up by Hurtubise as Concordia dug in until they were back to even strength.

As time ticked away, Queen's pulled Purboo for the extra attacker with just over a minute to play. Renwick had another last-second one-timer from the top of circle turned away again by Hurtubise. In the dying moments, a scramble in front saw a loose puck ring off the crossbar before bouncing out of harm's way as time expired.

With the 1-0 loss, the Gaels' quest for the Queen's Cup comes to a close, while the Stingers advance to the final. Despite the result, Queen's showed resilience in the series, holding the OUA's top-scoring team to just three goals across two games.

However, the Gaels' season is not over just yet. A win in the upcoming OUA Consolation Final game would secure a berth at the U SPORTS National Championship, keeping Queen's hopes alive for a shot at a national title.

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