The University of Varsity Blues men’s hockey team had their seven-game winning streak snapped, losing 4-3 to the Queen’s Gaels at Varsity Arena on Friday, January 29.

Forward Scott Kenway of Calgary scored the game-winning goal with 1:37 left in regulation to steal a win for the visiting Gaels. From the face-off circle to the right of the Blues net, Kenway punched in a long rebound of the pad of Blues goalie Andrew Martin (Mississauga, Ont.).

With the loss, the Blues record stands at 12-8-3 (27 points) and the fall back into a tie for forth place with the Gaels, whose record jumps to 13-10-1 (27 points). Carleton moves into sole possession of third place in the East division with a big win over No. 6 McGill Redman.

Queen’s opened the scoring at the 6:50 mark of the first period when first-year forward Payton Liske of Kingston, Ont. tallied his first of two on the evening. This gave his squad an early 1-0 cushion and with the help of netminder Steele De Fazio, who stopped two point-blank shots by Toronto forward Joe Rand halfway through the opening period, the scored remained that way at the end of 20 minutes.

Toronto would respond on the powerplay midway through the second frame when Rand (Toronto) notched his ninth of the season, picking up the loose puck after the initial Brendan Sherrard (Etobicoke, Ont.) shot was stopped De Fazio (Georgetown, Ont.), and burying into the open net.

Sudbury native Joey Derochie put the visitors back on top four minutes later as he capitalized on a Queen’s 5-on-3 man advantage. Still shorthanded, third-year forward Joel Lenius pulled the Blues even once again as he finished off a great play by Bryden Teich (Toronto) and ripped one past the sprawling Queen’s goalie.

Liske, the Gaels second-leading scorer, put his team back in front with a nifty move to split the defenders and then deked Martin for the third Queen’s goal and the fourth of the second period.

The Blues leading scorer Bryon Elliott came through in big way when he somehow found the puck, in a scrum in front of De Fazio, and slid it through the five hole to knot the game at three. As the game seemed destined for overtime, Kenway came through with his third of the season and put the Gaels in front for good.

Despite their best efforts with six skaters for the final 1:23 of the third period, Toronto was unable to tie this contest for a fourth as Queen’s skated away with a 4-3 victory.

The Blues are back on the ice tomorrow night, Jan. 30 when they host the RMC Paladins at Varsity Arena. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite Toronto teams, please visit the home of the Varsity Blues at http://www.varsityblues.ca.