Close But Not Quite

Late Gee-Gees goal extends Stingers’ losing streak to 3

SportsDavid S. Landsman — Published October 28, 2013

“I still feel good despite the loss,” said Stingers goaltender Carolanne Lavoie-Pilon. “It’s just really hard to lose when you have the lead. It’s a tough one.”

The loss drops the Stingers to 0-3 on the season.

The game was a tight affair with the hosting Gee-Gees shooting on all cylinders at Lavoie-Pilon. Lavoie-Pilon, in her third straight start, finished the afternoon matchup with a solid performance of 26 saves despite the loss.

The Stingers opened the scoring when veteran forward Alyssa Sherrard netted her first goal of the season three minutes into the second period, getting the puck past Ottawa netminder Stephanie Mercier. Captain Erin Lally got an assist, as did rookie Ann-Julie Deschenes, who nabbed her first point in a Stingers uniform.

Ottawa defender Victoria Germuska tied it up with a powerplay goal at the 11:30 mark of the third period, pushing a rebound past a sprawling Lavoie-Pilon.

“We were playing very strong and it was tight until the end,” said Lavoie-Pilon. “It was just unfortunate of the many turnovers.”

The game seemed destined for overtime until Stingers rookie blueliner Marie-Joëlle Allard was assessed a two-minute minor for roughing with only 36 seconds left in the game.

After a passing play deep in the Stingers zone, veteran Ottawa forward Janie Paquette found an opening in the net and scored with only nine seconds remaining on the clock, shattering any hope of a Stingers win.

“It was really a tough game that showed us the importance of playing a complete game,” said veteran winger Jaymee Shell. “We just have to make sure we capitalize on the opportunities we have during the game.”

Still searching for their first win of the season, the Stingers have two home games this coming weekend. They’ll be playing against the Canadian Interuniversity Sports no.1 ranked Université de Montréal Carabins on Friday night before taking on the Carleton Ravens on Sunday afternoon.