The Lancer football team opened up the 2022 season with a tough 19-16 loss to the visiting Ottawa Gee-Gees Saturday night at Alumni Stadium.

STATS
Quarterback Carter Zinger went 14-24 for 101 yards, while first year running back Joey Zorn led the Lancers on the ground with 111 yards on 12 carries.
 
Ottawa was paced by J-P Cimankinda with 125 yards on 18 carries, while quarterback Matt Mahler started the game for the Gee-Gees and went 13-23 for 118 yards and one interception.

Windsor out-rushed Ottawa 221 yards to 150, but the Gee-Gees topped the Lancers in passing yards, 187 to 101. 

GAME FLOW
A tight game from start to finish, the Gee-Gees got on the board first with a two-yard run by Ben Maracle with 7:20 left in the first quarter. 

Ottawa built a 10-0 lead midway through the second period before the Lancers retaliated in dramatic fashion. Liam Hoskins picked off Maracle and ran it back 71-yards for a touchdown. With less than a minute remaining in the first half, Campbell Fair kicked a 46-yard field goal to put the Gee-Gees up 13-7 heading into the half. 

The blue and gold came out strong in the second half, pulling ahead four minutes into the frame. First year Lancer Joey Zorn ran the ball six yards into the endzone, and a Brady Lidster convert put the Lancers up 14-13. A team safety added to the Lancer lead, putting the hosts up 16-13. 

Before the end of the third, Fair kicked a 30-yard field goal to tie the game heading into the fourth quarter. 

The final fifteen minutes were as close as a game could get. The Gee-Gees ran it into the end zone with two and a half minutes remaining but had the score called back because of a penalty. Fair ended up hitting his fourth of the day, kicking a 38-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining to secure the win for the visitors. 
 
UP NEXT
The Lancers will travel to Guelph to take on the Guelph Gryphons on Monday, September 5th at 1:00pm. The game can be seen live at oua.tv.
 
More to come.