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GAELS YATES BOUND AFTER KNOCKING OFF GRYPHONS 34-17 IN OUA SEMI
Posted by: Shawn MacDonald (Sports Information Officer)

11/2/2013 5:12:00 PM
KINGSTON (November 2, 2013)- The No. 4 Gaels are headed to the Yates Cup after avenging last year's OUA semi-final overtime loss to Guelph with a commanding 34-17 victory in their 14th consecutive win at Richardson Stadium.

"We just battled, it wasn't pretty. but it was a battle," said head coach Pat Sheahan after the win. "We caught them on man coverage on the big play with Macdonell. It was our receivers coach who made the call, and Macdonell beat him.

"Quarterback was good today, he didn't make any mistakes and he played very poised. There were some sacks he took today, that under those conditions at that time, he should've taken them. And that's what you have to do, you don't want to cough up the ball and make a critical error and cost your team the ball game when it's all on the line like that."

Ryan Granberg (#32 Sherwood Park, Alta.) got things rolling early for the Gaels on Saturday, collecting 88 all-purpose yards in the first quarter including a 1-yard run to put Queen's up 7-0 five minutes into the game. Granberg finished the game with two touchdowns, 113 yards on the ground, and 27 receiving yards.

Guelph took the lead 14-13 with 5:38 remaining in the 2nd quarter with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Jazz Lindsey to A'dre Fraser. Daniek Ferraro made it 17-13 with a minute left in the 1st half, scoring the last of Guelph's points.

From there, Queen's scored 21 unanswered points, shutting the Gryphons out in the 2nd half to win the game 34-17. After Guelph conceded two safeties to Queen's, Billy McPhee ((#10 Burlington, Ont.) added to his 228 yards passing on the day, with a touchdown pass coming on a 39-yard strike to Scott Macdonell (#84 Montreal). McPhee also contributed with his legs, with a 26 yard run to set up Granberg's second score on the day.

"I'm so proud of my guys everywhere, defense guys did awesome," commented Sam Sabourin,(#44). "Offense, special teams, awesome. And a lot of credit goes to the D-line."

The Gaels will play the winner of Western and McMaster in the 106th Yates Cup next weekend.

On November 14, 2009 the Gaels last faced the Mustangs in the Yates Cup where Queen's took a 43-39 victory. Queen's and McMaster last squared off for the Yates in 2002 where the Marauders bested Queen's 33-19.

Queen's has won 23 Yates Cup Championships in their history, the third most behind Western and Toronto.