The Queen’s Gaels ran out to a 24-point halftime lead, and then held on in the second half to upset the top-ranked Laurier Golden Hawks 30-27 in Waterloo Saturday to claim the 117th Yates Cup.

For Queen’s, the win brings the storied program its 24th championship and the first since 2009. Though Queen’s came into the post-season as the No. 4 seed in the OUA, Gaels coach Steve Snyder made the case that his team was due. “This was our third Yates Cup in the last five years and in the two seasons we didn’t make it we were decimated by injuries,” Snyder said in the wake of victory. “The key for us was getting better during the year and staying healthy.”

Laurier was bidding for a second straight OUA title. Last year, the Hawks beat Western 51-31 in the Yates Cup and, after defeating Bishops in

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