Golden Hawks look to pull off upset of No.5 Gaels

WATERLOO – Coming off a heartbreaking loss at their Homecoming game, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks men’s football team (1-5) has an opportunity to return the favour this Saturday when they travel to Kingston to take on the No. 5 Queen’s Gaels (4-1).

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Richardson Stadium and the game will be webcast live on QTV.

For the first time since 2008, the Gaels will be hosting a Homecoming football game and for the Hawks, it’s a perfect opportunity to exact a measure of revenge after suffering a 26-25 overtime loss to the Windsor Lancers last week. As well, the team will have the motivating factor of looking to knock off the team that has eliminated them from the OUA playoffs each of the last two seasons.

Entering Week 7 of the OUA season, the Hawks are not playing like a team that currently sits 10th in the conference standings. After a 41-10 win over Waterloo, Laurier gave the now-No. 1 Western Mustangs their toughest test of the season in Week 5 before having a potential game-winning touchdown call go against them last week against the Lancers.

The Hawks have been led this season by an ever-improving offence as well as a defence that ranks second in the OUA in passing yards allowed and fifth in points allowed per game. Highlighting the effort has been the play of third year running back Dillon Campbell of Whitby, Ont. The dynamic back leads the conference in rushing yards with 665, a number that ranks him third overall in the country. His six touchdowns, five rushing and one receiving, are also tied for the league-lead with Queen’s Giovanni April and McMaster’s Daniel Vandervoort.

Defensively, a very young group of Hawks has held their own this season, including limiting the No. 1 Mustangs to their lowest point total of the season. Leading the way has been rookie middle linebacker Brandon Calver of London, Ont., who has posted 36 tackles, two fumble recoveries and 1.5 sacks so far this season. The defensive line has also played a big role in Laurier’s ability to limit the pass game as Tommy Griffiths of Richmond Hill, Ont., and rookie Kwaku Boateng of Milton, Ont., have combined for 7.5 of Laurier’s 18 sacks this season.

Squaring off on the other side of the ball on Saturday will be the Gaels, a team that has shown themselves to be one of the top teams in the country all season. Queen’s is led by a veteran defensive group and a talented offence guided by quarterback Billy McPhee of Burlington, Ont. However, the Gaels are coming off their first loss of the season to the aforementioned Mustangs and with the No. 4 Guelph Gryphons sitting on the horizon the following week, the Hawks may have the advantage of facing a team that is looking ahead to Week 8.

With the game in Kingston being a sellout, Golden Hawk fans are encouraged to watch the Queen’s Gaels webcast or follow along on Twitter @WLUAthletics.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Returner William Pitt-Doe of Mississauga, Ont., is just five yards shy of setting a new Laurier record for kick return yards in a season…Pitt-Does also sits just 63 yards away from cracking the Top 5 single season best performances in the OUA record book…quarterback James Fracas of Waterloo, Ont., has improved on his performance each of the last three weeks and will need to do so once again if the Hawks are to upset the Gaels…receiver Greg Nyhof of Georgetown, Ont., is averaging over 24 yards a reception this season, second best in the conference among players with 10 or more receptions

Photo credit:  Thomas Kolodziej