Waterloo, Ont. – The No. 4 Queen’s Gaels got a pair of goals from Jackie Tessier of Peterborough, Ont., as they defeated the No. 10 McMaster Marauders by a score of 3-0 to advance to Sunday’s OUA Championship at University Stadium on the campus of Wilfrid Laurier University.
The Gaels victory sets up a rematch of last year’s OUA Championship with the host Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. The Hawks prevailed in that contest by a score of 1-0.
From the opening kick, Queen’s controlled the play as they had the majority of the chances early on in the first half. Tessier had the best chance for the Gaels as she broke in behind the Marauders defence but McMaster keeper Brittany Duffey of Markham, Ont., just managed to get a hand on her shot to keep the game scoreless.
However, McMaster couldn’t keep Tessier in check for much longer as in the 28th minute, she beat a pair of defenders and Duffey before depositing the ball into the empty net to make it 1-0.
The goal seemed to light a fire under the Marauders as late in the half, they began to push back. A corner in the final five minutes would produce McMaster’s best opportunity of the half as the ball was sent back to defender Kathleen Perri of Maple, Ont. Her ball into the box appeared to be heading for the top corner but Queen’s keeper Chantel Marson of London, Ont., punched it clear of the crossbar to maintain her team’s 1-0 lead.
Queen’s would turn up their intensity coming out to start the second half as they took over possession of the ball and hemmed the Marauders in their own zone. After a couple of near misses, the Gaels stretched their lead to 2-0 when a Mikyla Kay (West Vancouver, B.C.) free kick from midfield found Tessier’s head in the box and she made no mistake for her second goal of the game.
Gaels midfield Riley Filion of Alexandria, Ont., rounded out the scoring off a free kick from the top of the box as Queen’s moves on to the OUA Championship for the third consecutive season.
The Marauders will once again face the Ottawa Gee-Gees for the OUA Bronze Medal as well as a place in the CIS Championship beginning at 12 p.m on Sunday.
