The men’s soccer team will start the playoffs at home against the Laurentian Voyageurs tomorrow.
The first-round matchup will be a rematch of Sunday’s 3-3 tie. The Voyageurs scored the go-ahead goal late in the game on West Campus, but Gaels winger Nathan Klemencic equalized seconds before the final whistle.
Before the game against Laurentian, the Gaels beat the Nipissing Lakers 3-0 on Saturday at Tindall Field.
The fourth-place Gaels finished the regular season with a 7-4-3 record. Sunday’s tie kept Queen’s two points ahead of the
fifth-place Voyageurs, earning them
home-field advantage in tomorrow’s playoff game.
Midfielder Pat Zanetti, who scored two goals on Sunday, said he’s glad the Gaels won’t have to travel to Sudbury to play
at Laurentian.
“It’s eight hours on a bus, it’s bad weather and it’s on a field not in ideal condition,” he said. “Playing in front of our fans on a turf field makes a huge difference.”
Head coach Chris Gencarelli said a lack of focus let his team down in Sunday’s game. The Gaels led 2-0 with 20 minutes left after Zanetti
scored twice.
“We need to play mistake-free soccer and this season we haven’t,” he said. “[Playoffs are] a brand new season, so if we want to turn it around, it’s right now.”
The Gaels gave up second-half leads in both games against the Voyageurs this season. The teams tied 2-2 in Sudbury on Oct.15.
“They’re a team that’s not going to die down,” captain Joseph Zupo said. “No matter how far down they go, they will fight until the 90th minute.”
Tomorrow’s game will be hosted at West Campus’ turf field due to poor field conditions at Richardson Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.