A controversial disallowed goal helped spoil senior night for the women’s hockey team.

Queen’s fell 3-1 to the top-ranked Laurier Golden Hawks at home on Saturday night, before beating the Waterloo Warriors 2-1 yesterday.

At third place overall, the Gaels are set to play the sixth-place Windsor Lancers in the first round of the OUA playoffs, starting tomorrow night at home.

Queen’s trailed the entire game against Laurier, partially impeded by a waved-off goal midway through the second period.

The Gaels appeared to tie the game after banging in a loose rebound, but an early whistle from the referee caused the goal to be waved off.

“When you’ve got two teams that are battling hard and playing well, it’s unfortunate that potentially the result of the game could be on a missed call like that,” said Gaels head coach Matt Holmberg.

Laurier seemed to take advantage of the nullified goal, scoring within a minute of the call to make the score 3-1. The goal would be the final one of the game.

Holmberg said the second period turn-around was a major factor in the end result.

The Gaels scored the opening goal just 26 seconds into Saturday’s game. The also conceded a power play goal with five minutes remaining in the opening frame.

“I’d say [it was] an uncharacteristic start for us,” Holmberg said. “I think that’s the first time all year that we’ve come out of the first period being down more than one goal.”

Forward Shawna Griffin’s second-period goal brought the Gaels within one, just moments before the disallowed goal.

Netminder Mel Dodd-Moher stopped 29 shots, including a penalty shot save late in the third period.

Before the game, the Gaels honoured their 10 graduating players, many of whom were members of the Gaels’ 2010-11 OUA championship team.

“I can’t say enough about the veterans that have been on this team,” Holmberg said. “They’ve had amazing careers and I know they’re going to do everything they can to extend their career as much as they can in the next month.”