After having snapped their five-game losing streak on Friday evening, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team traveled to CEPSUM arena for an afternoon tilt, losing 9-1 to the second place Montréal Carabins on Sunday afternoon.
“It was definitely a step back,” explained Les Lawton, head coach of the team. “We played with no emotion; had trouble everywhere. It was one of those days you want to forget and get past.”
The last time the two teams met, the Stingers let slide a two-goal first period lead and conceded a 5-3 loss on Nov. 9. The Carabins were coming off a loss to McGill and were looking to get back to winning ways against Concordia.
Momentum was brief for the Stingers when their power play went to work just over five minutes into the game.
The Stingers’ Jaymee Shell sent a swift pass back to the point where sophomore Veronique Laramee Paquette made no mistake sending a bullet at the net, deflecting off a Carabins player and past Montréal goaltender Elodie Rousseau-Sirois to give Concordia the 1-0 lead.
Right before the next faceoff the Stingers goaltender, Chelsey Hodges, getting her first start since October 27, went off to repair an equipment malfunction. The officials urged them to switch goalies until the next whistle. So, Concordia head coach Les Lawton sent in Carolanne Lavoie-Pilon.
Unfortunately for Lavoie-Pilon, her shift would be short and bittersweet, conceding a goal to Carabins’ Maude Gelinas on her only shot faced in 1:34 of ice time. Lawton then told Lavoie-Pilon to return to the bench and Hodges returned back between the pipes.
Two minutes later on a delayed Stingers penalty Maxie Plante connected on a wrist shot from the slot behind Hodges, erasing the Stingers lead.
Late in the opening frame in the span of 78 seconds, the Stingers took two penalties and gave up two power play goals to Montréal with Janique Duval and Josianne Legault connecting; for Legault her first of three on the afternoon.
In the second stanza, the Carabins came out with full force by containing the puck in the Stingers zone for the latter portion. The Concordia defence stood its ground and Hodges seeing the puck very well, making 38 saves in the loss.
The Stingers couldn’t contain everything however, and with just under six minutes to go in the period, when the Carabins managed to get three quick goals in a span of 2:52, making it a 7-1 game.
“I thought for the first 12-14 minutes of the second we played solid,” explained coach Lawton. “But after that, we just seemed to falter.”
Carabins’ Legault completed her hat trick at 18:33 of the third period, and sealed the game at 9-1.
The Carabins offense seemed too much in the end and the poor officiating didn’t hurt them either, still calling everything against Concordia, even with the score well out of reach.
“The lack of communication between coaches and [the officials,] it’s inconsistent,” said Lawton. “And that makes it even tougher to play in games knowing their rules of what’s okay and not.”
The Stingers close out the first half of the season next Saturday when they visit the Ottawa Gee-Gees. They will have a five week break until the Theresa Humes Tournament on the first weekend of January.
