PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Gee-Gees to meet Queen’s for OUA Quarterfinal thriller

The University of Ottawa men's hockey team came out on top of a feisty OUA Round One series, defeating the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks in two overtime efforts. Advancing to the OUA Quarterfinal, the Gee-Gees will meet a rested Queen's Gaels squad.

Queen's earned a first round bye after a 22-6 regular season, good for second in the OUA East. The Gaels and Gee-Gees met twice during regular season action, splitting games. A dominant third period gave the Gaels the 4-2 edge in their first meeting (Oct. 27, 2024) while the Gee-Gees cruised to a 5-1 win in their second contest (Nov. 9, 2024)

The best-of-three OUA Quarterfinal series gets started on Wednesday night in Kingston. The series moves to Ottawa for game two on Friday night. The Gael's will host game three back in Kingston if necessary.

Ottawa has already faced challenges in their playoff run, going to overtime twice in their opening series. With scores of 3-2 in each game, the Gee-Gees were clutch in extra time. Vincent Maisonneuve and Brad Chenier were the overtime heroes for Ottawa.

Both Zach Dietz and Franky Lapenna saw shots in the opening series. The Ottawa goaltending and defense will be challenged by a high-speed Queen's offence led by Nolan Hutcheson. Hutcheson ranks third in the OUA with 20 goals while his teammate, Owen Lalonde, ranks third in the conference with 23 assists.

The Gee-Gees will look to carry their momentum from their series win over Ontario Tech into the OUA Quarterfinal round.

Tickets for Friday night's game are available at https://www.showpass.com/gee-gees-hockey-m/ Puck drop is at 7:00pm.