Kelly Jackson
Men’s Hockey

Forward Kelly Jackson of the men’s hockey team was named game MVP Saturday by scoring the first two goals for the Gaels, leading them to a 5-3 win. This was their fourth consecutive Carr-Harris Cup victory over the RMC Paladins.

“It was definitely an honour, especially being a rookie; it really boosted my confidence,” he said. “There were lots of other good candidates so it was really nice.” 

The Gaels were down 2-1 in the third period, but Jackson was able to tie it up on the power play.

“Our power play was working really well,” he said. “I was happy I was able to [contribute], take the reins and get the ball rolling.”

Although hockey was important to Jackson when deciding on a university he says it wasn’t the only factor.

“It was a lot about academics,” he said. “I was looking into the [US] as well, but the academics [at Queen’s] stood out and the facilities did too.”

Although his 10 goals and eight assists in 26 games this year suggest otherwise, the transition into university wasn’t easy at first for Jackson.

“It was definitely hard. I took a year off, [and then] I was part time at [University of Toronto] last year. It was a big transition getting back into the workload,” he said. “But I’ve been doing a good job of handling it all, I’m really looking forward to the next three years here.”

Prior to their win on Saturday, the Gaels won against the Ryerson Rams on Friday; clinching them a playoff spot.

“We knew what the task at hand was and were determined to [win],” he said.

Despite going 7-3-1 so far in 2011, Jackson says the Gaels know there is still work to do.

“Our [upcoming] game against [Toronto] will determine where we end up in the playoffs,” he said. “We need to keep the momentum going and keep our streak alive. We want to be playing good hockey going into the playoffs.”

— Emily Lowe

Shawna Griffin
Women’s Hockey

Women’s hockey team forward Shawna Griffin opened the scoring Saturday against the Brock Badgers and later added two more goals to help the Gaels to a 6-1 win. It was Griffin’s first CIS hat -rick in only 25 games in a Gaels uniform.

“It was really great,” she said. “I’ve never had [a hat-trick] before and getting it as a rookie and in a CIS league was a pretty great feeling.” However, Griffin isn’t taking all the credit for her breakout performance.

“With the help of my line mates, I was really able to move the puck well and fore-check and back-check hard,” she said.

For Griffin, hockey played a large role in deciding which university to attend.

“I contacted [Queen’s] and the coach was really interested; it was a good [fit]” she said. “It just felt right to come to Queen’s, when I visited and walked around the campus it felt like the school for me.”

Although Griffin’s five goals and five assists ranks her seventh on the team in points, learning to balance school and hockey was difficult at first.

“At the start it was definitely tough coming to Queen’s and adjusting to university life and on top of that [I had] hockey every day,” she said. “The girls on the team were great, they really made the adjustment easier.”

The Gaels won both of their games on the weekend in a convincing fashion, helping them improve to 8-2. Griffin said the team is feeling really confident.

“We are playing very well [right now], we are definitely peaking at the right moment,” she said. “If we keep it up we will be headed for a playoff race.”

— Emily Lowe