Winning it in Style

Stingers Women’s Hockey Team Comeback from 4-Goal Deficit For First Win of Season

Veteran forward Alyssa Sherrard helped lead the Stingers to a 6-4 victory Sunday afternoon. Photo David S. Landsman

After scoring just three goals in their first three games of the season, it was high time the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team started producing results on offence.

They did so in a big way at the Multisports de Châteauguay on Sunday afternoon, defeating the visiting Carleton Ravens 6-4.

It was a collaborative effort for the team, which boasts a roster of seven rookie skaters.

The veterans also chipped in a solid game, helping the Stingers win their first Collegiate Interuniversity Sport league game since Nov. 16, 2012, when they beat the Ravens 2-1 in a shootout.

“We’re really happy that our offensive system clicked and we were able to score a bunch of goals,” said veteran winger Jaymee Shell, who scored a goal and made an assist that afternoon. “It’s great that everyone is contributing and that the youth are stepping up and playing in key situations already.”

Shell and sophomore Marie-Pier Cloutier brought Concordia to a promising 2-0 lead at the 10:18 mark of the first period.

But it just as quickly evaporated, as just over a minute later Ravens forward Victoria Gouge cut the lead to 2-1 before her teammate Sadie Wagner evened the score late in the period.

After a scoreless second period, things went from bad to worse for the Stingers with the Ravens scoring two quick goals to take the lead 4-2 just eight minutes into the frame.

But it left just enough time for the Stingers to regroup for a wild finish.

Winger Danielle Scarlett started the rally after she took a pass from rookie Jesse Keca and made it a one-goal game at the 12:20 mark.

Forty-two seconds later, sophomore Audrey Morand jumped on a loose puck and shot it past Carleton goaltender Eri Kiribuchi to tie the game up at four.

And 63 seconds after that, Keca took a Morand feed and wired home her first score goal as a Stinger.

“It’s really a big confidence booster,” said Stingers netminder Carolanne Lavoie-Pilon. “Getting the first win early is a big motivation (for the rest of the season). I’m really happy for the girls, and getting the win.” Lavoie-Pilon turned aside 17 Carleton shots for her first win of the season.

Stingers captain Erin Lally capped off the rally with an insurance marker late in the third, giving the Stingers the 6-4 victory.

The last time the Stingers scored six goals in a CIS game was back on Feb. 19, 2011, when they beat the Ottawa Gee-Gees 6-2 margin.

“I’m really happy to have helped contribute so offensively in our first win,” said Morand. “Having [Coach] Les [Lawton] giving me the confidence to play on two lines and on the penalty kill gives me lots of ice time, which I appreciate, and I’m rewarded for.”

The win puts the Stingers at 1-3 on the season, although they remain in fourth place in the five-team Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec Conference.

They’ll look to get win no. 2 this Sunday, when they invite the Ottawa Gee-Gees at the new and revamped Ed Meagher Arena. Puck-drop is at 3 p.m.