The Queen’s Commerce vs. Engineering Cure Cancer Classic was played at the Leon’s Centre last Thursday.

It was the fourth instalment of this rivalry game, and the Queen’s community came together to raise $183,000, which was donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Fans for both sides showed up early to line the glass with signs and to cheer on their faculty as they took warm-ups.

When the players took to the ice come game time, the arena was rocking. Ryan Dale, a fourth-year civil
engineering student and defenceman for the Engineering team, described the full-capacity crowd as “absolutely electric.”

Prior to puck drop, the cheque for $183,000 was presented to the Canadian Cancer Society. Then, Lincoln Drake, a child battling cancer, was brought out to conduct the ceremonial puck drop.

He was met with deafening cheers from the crowd as everyone at the game showed their support.

In an interview with The Journal, Dale described the pre-game ceremony from the players’ perspective: “On their way into the arena, everybody was given a little sign with a marker, and [the sign] says, ‘I’m fighting for…’ Everyone writes down the name of someone they know […] and everybody holds up their signs.”

“The thought that every single person there can hold up a sign at one time just goes to show how many people cancer affects. It’s not a crazy fluke thing to happen, it happens to real people everywhere.”

The game was fast-paced right from the puck drop. The Commerce team was motivated, looking to avenge last year’s 3-2 overtime loss.

Both teams had their chances in the first, highlighted by a great chance by Commerce’s Marcus Dorsey that rang off the post.

There were three members of the Queen’s men’s hockey team taking part in this event. Liam Dunda and Stephen Gibson played for Commerce, while Caleb Warren suited up for the Engineering team.

Dunda thought he’d scored in the dying seconds of the first period, but the puck crossed the goal line after time expired, resulting in a scoreless first. 

Engineering broke the deadlock at 9:16 into the second on a goal by Jarrett Roantree. Warren hit the post towards the end of the second as well and Engineering went into the third period up 1-0.

The engineers padded their lead midway through the third with a goal by Travis Cossarini.

Although Dunda responded for Commerce to make it a one-goal game with 7:10 left, Cossarini’s goal would prove to be the winner as Engineering held on to win for the second year in a row.

The game was highly competitive, but the purpose of the event wasn’t lost on the players. “It’s a pretty easy game to play because everybody knows the cause […] When you’re fighting against something as serious as cancer, any sort of on-ice mistake isn’t really significant at all,” said Dale.

“You’re enemies for those 45 minutes when the puck is flying around […] But you shake hands at the end and recognize the great cause that it’s for.”

The event as a whole was a great success, and it’s safe to say that Engineering will enjoy the bragging rights they get to keep for another year.