Gaels don’t disappoint in semi-finals action

They boasted the league’s top scorer in Jackie Tessier and loads of returning player from their national championship a year ago, and they made sure the McMaster Marauders didn’t alter their plans again this year.

The Queen’s Gaels sent the Marauders packing with a resounding 3-0 victory over the women from Hamilton.

Tessier notched two goals and Riley Filion added a single in what started out to be a more tumultuous game than the Gaels expected.

‘We had a couple of hiccups at the back end and I thought [the Marauders] were pretty quick to take advantage of that,” said Queen’s head coach Dave McDowell. “We’ll have to be as good or better tomorrow.”

Tomorrow brings a much more powerful and familiar foe in the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. It will be the second year in a row the Gaels will face off against the purple and gold. The Hawks defeated the Gaels 1-0 in the Ontario finals a year ago, but this time, it’s on Laurier’s grounds.

And it doesn’t seem to bother McDowell’s bunch much.

“We like this field, it’s a nice size,” the coach said.

Tessier’s first marker came in the 28th minute as she split two defenders and chipped it past McMaster goalkeeper Brittany Duffey.

She then got her noggin on a shot from well out by Mikyla Kay. The marksman could have easily had more were it not for Duffey’s heroics and her two best friends, the goalposts.

Filion finished the scoring in the 87th minute with her own snipe.

“We’ve really been encouraging [Tessier] to run at defences with speed; run past them with a power move, rather than being more intricate,” explained McDowell.

“My job is to bet the ball in the back of the net and I’m happy to do it,” said Tessier, who stayed in the game for the duration of the whole match.

“We’ve had a couple of good battles [against Laurier],” said McDowell. “Maybe we’ve got a couple good ones coming up.”

You looking forward to some provincial finals’ revenge tomorrow Jackie?

“Absolutely, can’t wait.”