Gaels move into tie for playoff spot with 54-20 win over Warriors

WATERLOO, Ont. (October 1, 2016) - Gaels running back Jonah Pataki (Wallaceburg, Ont.) ran all over the Warriors on Saturday with 133 yards and three touchdowns as Queen's (2-3) defeated Waterloo (0-6) 54-20 to move into a tie for a playoff spot in the OUA.

GAME FLOW
After the Gaels won the toss and deferred, Waterloo and Queen's traded quick two and outs as the game got off to a slow start.

On the next Waterloo drive Mike Moore (Mississauga, Ont.) picked up a loose fumble after the Gaels sacked Waterloo quarterback Lucas McConnell and the Gaels took over at the Waterloo 54. Pataki followed up an eight yard rush with a 33-yard run into the endzone for the first touchdown of the game.
 
After another stalled Warriors drive the Gaels took over on offence again. They moved the chains with a big passing play from Nate Hobbs (Mississauga, Ont.) to Chris Osei-Kusi (Brampton, Ont.) for 30-yards down to the Warrior 25. Gaels kicker Nick Liberatore (Dartmouth, N.S.) connected from 17-yards out for a field goal to give the Gaels a 10-0 lead which is where things landed at the end of the quarter.

In the second, the Queen's offence continued to churn as Hobbs hit Alex Zuyls (Toronto) on a 40-yard pass and Pataki followed up on the next play with a 13-yard scamper into the endzone for a touchdown.

After Waterloo got on the board with a 14-yard McConnell pass complete to Tyler Ternowski, the Gaels saw the OUA Special Teams player of the week Nicholas Fraser-Greene (Mississauga, Ont.) display his defensive prowess soon after. Fraser-Greene picked off McConnell and took it 68-yards to the Waterloo seven yard line. From there Hobbs found Rudy Uhl (North Vancouver, B.C.) for another Gaels touchdown.

At the half Queen's held a 27-10 lead over Waterloo.

Early in the second half Hobbs connected with Osei-Kusi for a 40-yard catch and run. This set up an eventual Liberatore field goal from 11-yards out to make it 30-10 Gaels.

After Hobbs kept it himself for a touchdown, Pataki landed his third on the ground for the day. The two teams traded touchdowns and a field goal the rest of the way and the Gaels claimed the victory 54-20.

Osei-Kusi finished with five catches for 106 yards on the day while Hobbs went 19 of 28 for 274 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a score as well. Defensively, Moore had three solo tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

FINAL SAY?
"A lot of guys got to show what they are capable of today and that will help us moving forward," said offensive lineman and captain Emilio Frometa after the game. "We know that we have the capacity to be a complete team and each game, today included, shows that we are making strives towards that."

BY THE NUMBERS
3 - Three teams are currently tied for the final playoff position in the OUA at 2-3, York, Windsor and Queen's
Double - Two games in a row for both Osei-Kusi and Pataki reaching 100-yard marks
4/4 & 6/6 - It was a perfect day for Liberatore as he connected on all four field goal attempts and all six extra points.

UP NEXT
Queen's will travel to McMaster next Friday to take on the Marauders under the lights at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton. Kick-off is set for 7pm.