A Hard-Fought Loss

Bottom-Dwelling Stingers Nearly Upset Top-Ranked Martlets

SportsYacine Bouhali — Published November 12, 2012

After giving an incomplete effort the night before, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team showed up to play Saturday at McGill University, competing hard against the top-ranked Martlets but ultimately falling 3-1.

“That’s the type of effort we have to bring against the other teams in our league,” said head coach Les Lawton. “We played 60 minutes today but if we played the same way yesterday, we would’ve come out with the two points,” he said, referring to the team’s 5-3 loss to the Université de Montréal Carabins the night before.

Concordia might’ve pulled out a win Saturday had they started the game on a good note. That wasn’t the case however, as McGill’s top scorer, Leslie Oles, gave her team a 1-0 lead just a minute into the game.

Throughout the first period the Martlets showed why they are the No. 1 team in province, spending most of the period in Stingers’ defensive zone and dominating their opponents 16-1 in shots.

However, the Stingers regrouped on both sides of the ice in the second period. The Maroon and Gold came close to tying the game on a power play shot by Alyssa Sherrard, but the puck bounced off the post.

Unfortunately for Concordia, the Martlets would double their lead minutes later when, posted in front of the Stingers’ net, McGill’s Melodie Daoust had no trouble putting a loose rebound behind Stingers goaltender Carolanne Lavoie-Pilon to put McGill up 2-0 after two periods.

“That’s the type of effort we have to bring against the others team in our league. We played 60 minutes today but if we played the same way yesterday, we would’ve come out with the two points.”
—Head Coach Les Lawton

But the Stingers didn’t go down without a fight.

Starting the third period on a power play, Concordia took advantage of the situation as Sherrard scored her third goal of the season to cut McGill’s lead to one.

After that goal, the Stingers spent every ounce of their energy trying to tie the game until one of their own was called for a boarding penalty. McGill’s Gabrielle Davidson took advantage of the shorthanded Stingers, sealing the game for McGill with a two-goal lead.

Lawton was quick to praise the Marlets after the game.

“We gave their better players a little bit too much time; those are world-class players [Oles and Daoust]—they’ll make your pay if you give them too much space,” he said.

“It’s a step in the right direction, hopefully we can use it as a stepping stone,” said Lawton of his own players’ effort against the Martlets.

The Stingers’ next game is Nov. 16 at Ed Meagher Arena where they’ll face the Carleton Ravens.