After three straight victories, men’s soccer headed into the past weekend with confidence. Their strong form continued as they faced off against UOIT Ridgebacks and Trent Excalibur, winning 1-0 and 4-2 respectively.

Saturday’s game against UOIT was a high-stakes matchup, as the teams ranked fourth and fifth in the OUA East coming into the game.

For the first half-hour, Queen’s dominated, controlling possession and creating plenty of chances. But they were unable to capitalize on their efforts. Two missed headers within the half-hour mark, which could have easily blown the game apart, were unable to connect.

The Gaels’ efforts were rewarded in the 26th minute when captain Andrew Martin sent a perfectly weighted long ball to the feet of striker Jacob Schroeter. Schroeter slotted the pass home into the bottom left corner.

The Ridgebacks struck back, forcing keeper Taylor Reynolds to make a few key saves including an incredible save off a breakaway at the stroke of halftime. His presence was felt throughout the entire match as he commanded from the back and ensured his team remained in front.

As the match progressed, the Gaels were both on the giving and receiving end of a few harsh tackles.

In the 57th minute, Schroeter was fouled inside the penalty box and was awarded. Defender Kristian Zanette then stepped up to the plate, but his effort was stopped by the opposing goalie, Travis Martin. All the while, Queen’s remained dominant, as the center back and wing backs continued to deter Ridgeback attacks.

Sunday’s matchup was jumpstarted by Schroeter again, who scored in the game’s third minute. Second half goals from first-year forward Jamie Barraclough and defender Andrew Martin put the Gaels up three over Trent, before goals in the 70th and 77th minutes made the matchup tight once again. However, Brian Jimenez-Lopez added a goal in the 90th minute to push the Gaels ahead by two once again.

Now in his second year, Schroeter has scored in the five past matches and sits tied in the league for fourth in goals.

When reflecting on last season in comparison to the current one, Schroeter pointed to his health as a key reason for his outburst.

“Last year, towards the end of the season, I tore my MCL,” he said. “I took a lot of time thinking about it while I was off and thinking about what I had to do to get better. I was unsatisfied with my performance last year and wasn’t going to let this injury be an excuse for me.”

The Gaels head northwest this weekend for games against Nipissing and Laurentian.