Playing in their first payoff game since 2014, the Lancer football team headed to the nation's capital to face the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the OUA quarter-finals.
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The Lancers broke 40-points for the first time this season, but came up short, falling 43-30 to the host Gee-Gees.
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STATS
Lancer quarterback Danny Skelton went 23-33 for 268 yards and a touchdown. Joey Zorn led the Lancers on the ground and in the air with 56 yards rushing, a touchdown, and 63 receiving yards on 5 catches.
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Brady Lidster went 2/2 on field goal attempts and 4/4 on the extra point. Defensively, the blue and gold were led by
Devin Veresuk with 8.5 total tackes (7 solo, 3 assisted).
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GAME FLOW
Ottawa opened the scoring with 3:56 left in the first quarter with a four-yard run by J-P Cimankinda, and then took a 10-0 lead with a 41-yard field goal from Campbell Fair.
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Windsor struggled to get anything going in the first quarter and were finally able to put some points on the board early in the second. The Lancers completed a 10-yard field goal, but the Gee-Gees were called on an offside penalty giving Windsor back the ball at 1st and 10. Windsor capitalized on their second chance as
Christopher John charged through the pile for a 2-yard touchdown run. 10-7 Ottawa.
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Lidster's 25-yard field goal tied the game at ten before the Gee-Gees went on an 11-point run to lead 21-10. Just before the half, Zorn grabbed the snap at the third yard line and hopped into the endzone to make the score 21-17 Ottawa heading into halftime.
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The third quarter was all Windsor to start as their offensive and defensive lines were wearing down the Gee-Gees. Lidster kicked things off with a 26-yard field goal early in the quarter, before Daniel Thrasher accepted a 13-yard pass from Skelton to put the Lancers up 27-21.
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After conceding a safety to Ottawa on the final play of the third quarter,
Liam Hoskins picked off Ottawa and returned the ball 34-yards for a Lancer touchdown. Windsor led 34-23 with 13:30 to go in regulation.
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The hosts responded in a big way. On their next drive, Cimankinda rushed 16-yards into the endzone and the Gee-Gees converted the extra point into two, making the score 34-31. Ottawa then recovered a
Christopher John fumble to return the ball 60-yards to take the final lead of the day, 38-34.
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Another safety and a field goal would close out Ottawa's scoring. Windsor battled hard to close the nine-point gap late in the fourth. John had another short run for the final score of the game, going 1-yard into the endzone to make it a three-point game, 43-40.
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Stay tuned to goLancers.ca for more information on the Lancer football team throughout the year.
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