Deja vu for women?s hockey team

The women’s hockey team can’t seem to beat the Carleton Ravens in regulation. All three of their games this season have been decided in a shootout. After losing to Carleton in their first meeting the Stingers have beaten them twice, by the same score and in the same emotionally trying fashion.

Both times, Concordia led 2-0 in the third period. Both times, the Ravens tied the game up in the final period. And both times, goaltender Audrey Doyon-Lessard shut the door on Carleton in the shootouts to help the Stingers to a 3-2 win.

Assistant coach Harry Yeramian has an idea as to why this pattern keeps occurring: “Carleton is a hardworking team. They don’t stop until the last whistle. […] They’re a team that just doesn’t give up.”

Both teams had decent scoring chances in the first period, but neither could capitalize. Carleton had the first legitimate chance when Claudia Bergeron, the second highest scorer on the team, sent a shot just over the Concordia goal.

Stingers forward Maggie MacNeil registered Concordia’s first shot on goal when she got the puck up on Carleton goalie Victoria Powers.

Midway through the period, Stinger Natalie May found herself in the Carleton crease with the puck, but couldn’t get a shot away.

The Ravens fired 12 shots at Doyon-Lessard in the period, compared to six shots on goal by the Stingers.

Just over a minute into the second period, Carleton took their first of three penalties and embarked on their first of three successful penalty killing missions.

During the second Stingers powerplay, defenceman Veronica Lang took a shot from the point and Alyssa Sherrard’s attempt to redirect the puck went wide.

Sherrard would have another great scoring chance during the period, but it was Catherine Desjardins who broke the Raven’s shutout bid.

With two minutes to go in the period, she beat Powers glove side to give Concordia the lead going into the third.

The Stingers wasted no time in widening their lead; two and a half minutes into the third, Sherrard put one by Powers for her fifth goal of the season.

But four minutes later, a shot by Raven Veronic Auger found its way through Doyon-Lessard’s pads to cut into the Stingers’ lead.

Concordia’s top scorer Erin Lally, fresh off winning a gold medal with Team Canada at the World University Games in Turkey, arrived just in time to watch Carleton’s captain Sara Seiler score on her team to tie the game with six minutes to go.

But neither team was able to score a third goal and the game went into overtime.

After making an initial save to her right, Doyon-Lessard was almost caught out of position by Kaila Lassaline, who tried to tuck the puck in on a wraparound to her left. But the Concordia goalie lunged to her left and managed to extend her leg just enough to shut the door on the Carleton player.

Doyon-Lessard turned away all four shots she faced during overtime, but Powers was also perfect on the other end of the ice, which set the stage for the shootout.

Emilie Bocchia went up first for the Stingers. Powers got a piece of her shot with her blocker and sent it into the glass behind her.

Melanie McKnight, the only Raven to have scored on Doyon-Lessard in a shootout all season, was Carleton’s first shooter. Doyon-Lessard came out to challenge her and McKnight sent the puck right over the net.

Stinger Catherine Rancourt scored the only goal of the contest when her shot hit the crossbar on its way into the net. After making the last save of the game on Kristen Marson, Doyon-Lessard tapped her stick and skated out to join her teammates in celebration.

With their win against the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday, the Stingers collected four huge points this weekend despite not having Lally in the lineup.

“The two wins, today and yesterday, they were a whole team effort. No one player stepped up, it was the whole team,” Yeramian explained.

The Stingers are now tied with Montréal for second place, but they have a game in hand. Their next game is Friday, Feb 11. against the McGill Martlets. The puck will drop at Ed Meagher Arena at 7:30 p.m.

Related Posts