The fourth-seed Windsor Lancer football team are getting set to host their OUA quarter-finals opponent in the fifth-ranked Queen's Gaels on Saturday October 26th at Alumni Stadium for a 3:00pm kickoff time. 
 
The blue and gold met the tricolour earlier in the season during their season home opener game where they defeated the Gaels in a 25-21 victory over the visitors from Kingston back on August 24th at Alumni Field. Both teams have identical 5-3 records going into their post-season quests. 
 
With a looming rematch in both teams' sights, it is anticipated to be competitive head-to-head rematch which will have elevated stakes in pursuit of the prestigious Yates Cup. 
 
"This will be a great matchup of two teams built similarly in the fact that we both like to run the football, we both rely on strong defensive play starting with our defensive lines and we both have big playmakers in our special teams." Coach Jean-Paul Circelli said of the impending battle.  
 
Circelli went on to further explain the match-up with a further in-depth assessment outlining that it will be a levelled head-to-head match-up going into Saturday. 
 
"The challenge for our offense will be scoring points against a very stout Queen's defense. Their defensive line lead by Darien Newell and Silas Hubert is the best in the conference.  Their linebacking core lead by middle linebacker Justin Pace is second to none and their secondary lead by Keegan Vanek and Ashton Miller-Melancon is very difficult to pass on. Our keys to success will be leaning on our veteran offensive line lead by Jaxon Morkin and Owen Mueller to open up holes for our running backs Joey Zorn and Chris John, as well as making sure our
passing game has time to develop."
 
"Defensively, not only do we have to try and slow down Queen's running game lead by All-Canadian running back Jared Chisari, but we also have to mindful of quarterback Anthony Lio and the chemistry he has recently built with the Queen's receivers lead by Nathan Falconi. This presents a difficult challenge for our defense as Queen's boasts one of the most physical and well coached offensive lines in the OUA."
 
"We will lean heavily on the efforts of our captain and middle linebacker Devin Veresuk, as well as the athleticism and leadership of Kolade Amusan and Melyk George on the defensive line and Robert Springer and Istvan Assibo -Dadzie in the secondary. On special teams, we must ensure that we know at all times where #6 Iain St. Arnault is as he is dangerous every time he touches the ball as he has already returned three touchdowns on the year. Queen's has one of the best coaching staffs in the league lead by Coach Steve Snyder and we know that he will have his team firing on all cylinders."
 
The Lancers are currently wrapping up the season on a three-game losing skid following losses to three tough opponents in two competitive losses to Guelph Gryphons and Laurier Golden Hawks and a blowout 46-5 loss to the Western Mustangs. 
 
However, the Lancers are now looking to use those recent experiences and channel their energy into recreating the buzz they had throughout the start of this season which brought them into the U SPORTS national rankings and made a statement across the league. 
 
"Football is a unique sport in that although momentum can carry a team throughout a game, it rarely carries over to the next contest."  Circelli reassuringly stated with the utmost confidence.
 
"It really is about matchups, schemes and the health of the players involved in the game. Our team is playoff ready from the standpoint that we have been in just about every scenario throughout the regular season; we have won and lost close games, we have come from behind multiple times, we have won big, and we have been humbled. Handling that kind of adversity has our program ready for the single elimination playoff format, so there likely won't be a scenario this weekend that we haven't experienced this season."
 
Now the stage is set for the Lancers going into Saturday's marquee match-up and Coach Circelli is only hoping that he and the team can count on seeing a sea of blue and gold football fans showing up and showing out to support the Lancers Football program at Alumni Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
"The Windsor-Essex community is such a special place in that we truly have the best and most dedicated sports fans."  Coach JP Circelli elatedly expressed when asked what it means to have such support from the local community full of faithful football fans coming to fill the stands at Alumni Field this year. 
 
"We are averaging 4000 people per game and that makes such a big difference in the energy of Alumni Field and our team really feeds off that positivity. We want as many blue collar and gold swagger fans packing our stadium to support a team that has taken on the identity of this community and a group that they can really be proud of to carry on the Windsor name. This city has always supported its own and I know this weekend will be no different. Go Lancers!"
 
Fans can purchase their tickets at the gate on game day or in advance here.  Also, football fans can catch the game streaming live on OUA.Tv or follow the Windsor Lancers on X (formerly Twitter) for live in-game updates.