The start of the 2024-25 year brought with it many memorable moments for the Gaels. From the ice to the field, this edition of Aidan’s Angle will present to you my top five sporting moments and performances of the fall semester.
Men’s Hockey skate past expectations
Despite preseason concerns about their offensive production, the Gaels’ Men’s Hockey team has exceeded expectations this season. With a 13-3 record through their first 16 games and a national ranking of fifth, they’ve outperformed last year’s offensive success solidifying their position as a top contender in the OUA circuit.
While this isn’t about a single moment, watching Nolan Hutcheson, ArtSci ’25, dominate offensively this season has been a treat.
Hutcheson has recorded 15 goals through 16 games this season, putting him at the top of the OUA’s leaderboard by three goals. Making up Hutcheson’s 15 goals this season are a pair of hat tricks and several game-winning goals, cementing himself him as one of the Gaels’ most exciting athletes across all sports.
Women’s Rugby place third at National Championships
After a heartbreaking loss while trying to defend their provincial title, the Women’s Rugby team was able to rebound—suring their rivals, the Guelph Gryphons, and securing hardware at the U SPORTS Women’s National Rugby Championship.
The Gaels defeated the Acadia Axemen as well as the Ottawa Gee-Gees before narrowly falling to the Victoria Vikes by just three points in the semi-final game.
After recording yet another undefeated regular season, the third-place finish confirms that despite the provincial championship loss to Guelph, the team remains a national powerhouse.
Men’s Football’s last-minute heroics
On Oct. 26, the Gaels embraced the underdog role in the OUA quarterfinals, kicking off against the Windsor Lancers in Windsor, Ont.
In the first game of the season, the Lancers defeated the Gaels by a score of 25-21, and up until the final minute of their playoff matchup, the Gaels were face-to-face with a similar outcome—only this time, in much more dire circumstances.
Trailing by five points with just five seconds left in the game, quarterback Russel Weir, ArtSci ’26, connected with receiver Logan Walton, ArtSci ’28, for a 39-yard touchdown to give the Gaels a one-point lead.
After kicker Tyler Mullan, ArtSci ’26, spiked home a two-point conversion, the Gaels shocked the nation, beating the Lancers by three points and punching their ticket to the provincial semi-final.
Men’s Rugby secure National Silver
Like the Women’s Rugby team, the Men’s squad fell to the Guelph Gryphons at the Provincial Championships. However, they came back strong at the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC), finishing second overall and beating the Gryphons in the semi-final game.
Although the Gaels fell short to the ÉTS Montréal Piranhas, their performance at the CUMRC was monumental. They tied their highest finish at the tournament serving as just the beginning of what looks to be a successful career for the Gaels’ new Head Coach, John Lavery.
Men’s Cross Country
For me, the most impressive Gaels performance of the semester came from the Men’s Cross Country atheltes at the U SPORTS Cross Country Championships in Kelowna, B.C. on Nov. 9.
Their hard work was evident all semester, with runners consistently training across campus. That dedication paid off in spectacular fashion, with every member of the team placing in the top 100 on race day. Cross-country may be scored individually, but the team’s close-knit camaraderie clearly fueled their collective success.
Although there were countless memorable moments throughout the first few months of the 2024-25 school year, this was a very condensed list of my favourite Gaels sporting moments. Here’s to many more as the new year unfolds.
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