The men’s hockey team made one thing very clear this weekend: they’re on a roll.

Coming off a dominant 5-2 win against RMC on Wednesday, the Gaels backed up their strong play with a pair of wins, defeating Laurentian 4-0 and Nipissing 4-3 at home on Friday and Saturday respectively.

“Three games in four nights is a lot of hockey and the guys found a way and played really well for the three-game stretch,” head coach Brett Gibson said after Friday’s win over Nipissing.

The Gaels have been one of the hottest teams in the OUA as of late, with the team owning a 10-3 record over the past 13 games. With their two wins over the weekend, Queen’s moved into a tie with Concordia for second place in the OUA East.

Ben Fanjoy tracks down a loose puck. Photo: Amanda Norris

Though both of the Gaels’ weekend games came against teams lower than them in the standings, Nipissing and Laurentian were competitive opponents. In their 4-3 win against Nipissing on Friday night, the Gaels were forced to hold off a late attack from the visitors that nearly pushed the game to overtime.

Gibson, a seasoned veteran with ample knowledge of the parity in the OUA, knew the weekend wouldn’t be easy.

“There are no easy games in the OUA … [Nipissing’s] goalie was playing really well and they were capitalizing on their scoring opportunities,” Gibson said.

With expectations of experiencing pushback from both teams, the Gaels showed why they’re one of the OUA’s best. Against Nipissing, Queen’s outshot the Lakers 35-24. Gibson noted against Nipissing particularly, the score was less indicative of the way the actual game played out.

Gaels forward Jaden Lindo checks a Laurentian player on the boards. Photo: Amanda Norris

“It was a pretty dominant performance by us from start to finish,” Gibson said, noting the Lakers had just 10 shots through the first two periods.

The weekend saw notable performances from a few key players who have proven themselves to be tremendously important to the Gaels’ success in recent years. In Saturday’s win against Nipissing, third-year forward Slater Doggett tallied a point in each of the Gaels’ goals. It propelled him to fifth in the OUA scoring race.

In the team’s 4-0 win on Saturday, fifth-year goalie Kevin Bailie completed his first shutout of the season. The win was historic for Bailie, coming as his 50th as a Gael.

Darcy Greenway puts pressure on a Laurentian forward. Photo: Amanda Norris

While the individual performances from Doggett and Bailie were welcomed with open arms, Gibson was particularly pleased with the team’s overall play in the offensive zone.

Coming off a strenuous schedule that saw the Gaels play five games in eight days, Queen’s will play a single game next weekend in a rematch against Laurentian on Saturday. The following Thursday, the Gaels are set to play in the annual Carr-Harris Cup at the K-Rock Centre against RMC.