Queen's Women's Hockey returned to the Kingston Memorial Centre on Friday morning for a high-energy School Day match up against East Division rival Carleton. With more than 2,600 local students packing the stands, the building buzzed with excitement as the Gaels hit the ice looking to continue their dominance on home ice.

The opening period was played at a high pace, with the Gaels steady in all both zones and Emma Tennant (Mechanical Engineering) stopping eight shots early. At 19:32, second-year defenceman Scarlett Nowakowski (Commerce) fired a slap shot from the point to give Queen's a 1–0 lead, with assists captain Sophie Hudson (Chemical Engineering) and Mikayala Cranney (Arts & Sciences).

The second period remained scoreless, as Queen's preserved its 1–0 advantage through forty minutes of play.

At 5:09 of the third, Mikayala Cranney struck from the slot to score the game-winning goal, extending the Gaels' lead to 2–0. Carleton responded later on a 5-on-3 power play to cut the deficit to 2–1, but Queen's held firm the rest of the way. Cranney sealed the win with an empty-net goal, with Jada Wood (Arts & Sciences) earning the assist. 

Captain Sophie Hudson also returned to the lineup in the win and spoke post game about what the moment meant to her. When asked about being back with the team, Hudson said, "It was awesome. It's been a long nine weeks since I dislocated my shoulder in December, so it means everything to be back out there playing with these girls."

After the game, head coach Morgan McHaffie reflected on the School Day match up and the impact the women's team has on the next generation. "The girls were so excited coming into this one," McHaffie said. "Having been part of women's hockey for over 15 years, it's amazing to see how much the game has grown and evolved."

Queen's Women's Hockey returns to home ice tomorrow afternoon for an afternoon tilt against the Guelph Gryphons. Puck drop is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., with student tickets available at gogaelsgo.com.