The #1 ranked Queen's Gaels defeated the Waterloo Warriors 69-5 this past Saturday in the final week of regular season play. With the loss, the Warriors end their season in 8th place with a 1-7 and will not qualify for playoffs.
The Warriors were on their heels early in the game as the Gaels pushed through their defensive line and slipped through to put the first try on the board. Queen's grabbed the early lead early and never let this relinquish en route to the lopsided defeat.
The Warriors worked hard to hold off the advances, but Queen's top rated attack found seams in the Warriors defence, scoring multiple tries in the first half. Queen's man of the match, Kainoa Lloyd, would score four tries to lead the Gaels to the victory. Going into the second half, the Gaels were leading the Warriors 43-0.
The Gaels momentum slowed as the Warriors gained their greatest advance in the Queen's end and breaking the Gaels shutout as standout Kyle Kraemer (St. Clements) scored the first try for Waterloo. Kraemer capped off an outstanding season with his team leading 11th try on the season, placing him among league leaders with 55 points.
The Warriors will look to their veterans and a strong recruiting pool next season to move above .500 next year. With a young roster and many players finding their stride late, next season will surely be an improvement.
