The third period continued to be unkind to the Queen’s Golden Gaels Friday night, as they surrendered three unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes of a 4-3 loss to the Nipissing Lakers in an Ontario University Athletics men’s hockey game in North Bay.

As they opened the second half of the season, the Gaels lost for the third time in their last four games. The other two defeats were similarly disappointing, as Queen’s gave up two goals in the third period and lost 3-1 to Laurentian in its final pre-Christmas contest, and in the game before that the Gaels twice blew a one-goal lead in the third period before losing 7-6 to Lakehead in overtime.

If that isn’t sufficiently bedeviling, consider:

• Queen’s gave up the only goal of the game in the third period of a 1-0 loss to Carleton;

• Four goals in the third period gave Trois-Rivieres a 5-3 win;

• Two goals unanswered goals in the third period broke a 1-1 tie at Western as the Mustangs claimed a 3-1 victory;

• The game-winning goal in the season opener at McGill—the only goal of the third period—came with just 14 seconds left in the game.

Friday night, Queen’s spotted the home team a one-goal first-period lead but three goals in the second period—two of them a minute apart; the other near the end of the period—sent the Gaels into the third with a two-goal cushion.

A goal by Erik Robichaud, Nipissing’s second power-play goal of the night, and a goal by Brock Morrison a little more than three minutes later tied the game. Matt Paton then got the game-winning goal, his 10th goal of the season, on a rebound. His initial shot was stopped by Gaels goaltender Kevin Bailie, but the puck bounced in the air and went into the net off Paton, the former Erie Otter whose momentum was carrying him toward the goal.

The Gaels protested, but the goal stood.

Tyler Moore, Kelly Jackson and Eric Ming scored for Queen’s, which, at 8-7-1, remains sixth in the East division standings. Nipissing, 10-7-1 and winner of three of its last four, moved into a fourth-place tie with Laurentian, four points ahead of the Gaels.

It was Ming’s eighth goal of the year and Jackson’s third, but his second against the Lakers.

Bailie made 23 saves in the Queen’s goal, while Nipissing’s Kirk Rafuse made 42 stops in collecting the goaltending victory.

The Gaels resume play Tuesday at the Memorial Centre, when they will host the ninth-ranked Carleton Ravens at 7:30 p.m.