Homecoming game anything but as Gaels drop season finale to Lancers

The loss sets up a first-round match up against the McMaster Marauders next Saturday at Richardson Stadium.

The Windsor Lancers played the role of party poopers in their game against the Queen's Gaels at Richardson Stadium.

Over 9,000 of Queen's University alumni and current students were attendance on Saturday to celebrate their homecoming weekend.

Brady Lidster's 43-yard field goal with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter gave the Lancers (5-3) a 31-28 victory over the Gaels (5-3). The win gives Windsor third place in the standings, the Gaels finished fourth.

Head Coach Steve Snyder says it was not the effort or the result that he had in mind.

Momentum swung both ways during the entire game. 

An early fumble by quarterback Alex Vreeken resulted in a field goal for the Lancers. Later the Gaels recovered a missed punt giving Queen's possession on the Lancers' 5-yard line. 

But Vreeken was intercepted at the goal line by Harrison Daley on the very next play.

He says they couldn't capitalize on the excellent scoring chances that were given to them.

Vreeken and the rest of the offense had their hands full with Windsor's defense that pressured the quarterback and stopped the running backs from making big gains. 

But the Gaels did manage to put a couple of drives together that resulted in majors. One saw Vreeken scramble on a broken play and ran 8 yards for the touchdown to take a 21-20 lead in the fourth.

He says even with the home crowd on their feet, the team simply couldn't sustain the momentum.

The Gaels were coming off a bye week while the Lancers were playing the second of back-to-back road games.

Snyder says there were a number of things that factored into Saturday's loss.

That quick turnaround is a first-round playoff game against the McMaster Marauders next Saturday at Richardson. The Gaels defeated the Marauders 38-4 in Hamilton in Week Two.

Story by Ken Hashizume