“If you give the rookies the chance early, they’ll only develop confidence and only get better. They’re not just here for one year, they’re here for four or five.”
In a rematch of last year’s RSEQ semifinals, the Gee-Gees women’s hockey team started off the season on Oct. 13 looking for revenge against the Montreal Carabins. The Gees took the Carabins to a deciding Game Three in their match-up last year, but were eliminated just 28 seconds into overtime of that game.
It was a summer of change for the program, as coach Chelsea Grills stepped down and former assistant coach Stefanie McKeough was appointed to the role. New on the bench this year alongside McKeough is Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Wakefield, (Sochi 2014) who was a mainstay on the Canadian national team for most of the last decade.
“Wake’s obviously a very storied hockey player in this country and we had the chance to play a little bit through the national program — the hockey world isn’t that big all the time. We jumped at the chance to bring her in, she is an incredible offensive mind,” said McKeough.
“I think every day in practice the girls pick something new up from her, whether it’s a little deception here or learning how to make yourself more dangerous on a 2-on-1. The girls are super lucky to get to be on the ice with her.”
The Gees seemed to be overpowered by the Carabins in the first period, managing just four shots on goal in the initial frame, to the Carabins’ nine. Neither team found the back of the net though, as both offences searched for their footing.
In the second, the fans didn’t have to wait long to see a goal but it didn’t come from the side they were here to see. After a battle in the Gees’ end after the centre-ice faceoff, the Gees were unable to clear the puck, and it made its way to a Carabin alone in front of the net. 1-0 Montreal.
Just a few minutes later, Carabin Audrey Gervais made a nifty move near the blue line, losing her defender and finding herself with the puck in the slot. She didn’t miss her chance and found the top corner of the net. 2-0 Montreal.
And the goals just kept coming for the visiting team. Just before the midway point of the period, with the Gees on the penalty kill, Jessika Boulanger found Kelly-Ann Nadeau open from the top of the circles on the left side of the ice. Nadeau one-timed it, passed a sliding Mahika Sarrazin, and the scoreboard read 3-0, Montreal.
The Gees were not without chances in the second, however. Taylor Scott came tearing down the left side and sent a hard wrister on net, but it pinged off the crossbar and into the netting. With just 30 seconds left in the frame, the Gees set out quickly on a rush that took the Carabins by surprise. Rookie Charley Healey carried the puck in with speed and danced to the left side of the Carabin’s zone. After dumping the puck, it was retrieved by Reece Mepham, who took it towards the goal.
The puck was knocked off her stick, but eventually made its way right to Angelique Proulx coming in from the point, who wasted no time in getting it off her stick and finding twine. The Gee-Gees had their first goal of the year, but more importantly, had the momentum heading into the locker room before the third period.
Just a few minutes into the final frame, the Carabins nearly had their fourth. With a seemingly wide-open net on a wraparound chance, a sprawling Sarrazin somehow managed to keep the puck out of the net.
A lofted dump with just over five minutes left led to a breakaway for the Gees, but Kate McLean was stopped and so were the ensuing rebounds. With two-and-a-half minutes left, Sarrazin was pulled. The home team got their chances and pinned the Carabins in their end, but none found the back of the net. The Carabins found the open net with just over one minute to go, sealing the game.
Coach Stefanie McKeough was complimentary of the four rookies in the lineup. “I think they did well. I think maybe a little bit of nerves in the first little bit, but I think as the season gets going, if you give the rookies the chance early, they’ll only develop confidence and only get better. They’re not just here for one year, they’re here for four or five.”
