Martlets 2, Stingers 1 (OT): Mistakes late prove costly for Stingers in opener of the Theresa Humes Cup
The Stingers won the 52nd edition of the tournament in 2019
There was no love lost between the Concordia and McGill women's hockey teams as they renewed their rivalry at Ed Meagher Arena on Oct. 1 The Martlets escaped with a narrow 2-1 (OT) victory on the back of Laura Jardin’s overtime winner in the opening game of the 2021 Theresa Humes Cup.
Including Friday’s afternoon game, five of the last six games between the Stingers and the Martlets have been decided by a single goal––four of which have required overtime or a shootout.
Concordia had won three consecutive tune-up games against the Bishop’s Gaiters and Montréal Carabins (twice) leading into Friday’s matinee––the two other teams that round out this four-team tournament that runs from Oct.1 - Oct. 3.
The Stingers were well on their way to a fourth win in a row, until a pair of mistakes–– one late in regulation and the other in overtime––ended the streak. Despite showing little threat offensively, the Martlets capitalized when they needed to and came away victorious.
What initially looked to be a high-scoring affair with action at both ends, turned out to be a defensive battle between a pair of veteran netminders: Concordia’s Alice Philbert and McGill’s Tricia Deguire, a Hockey Canada camp invitee. Philbert and Deguire made difficult saves look routine, and after today’s contest, you could argue they are already in mid-season form.
Concordia controlled play out of the gates, attacking off of the opening faceoff, but had nothing to show for after one period of play. Deguire stood tall in net, stopping all 11 shots she faced in the opening frame.
In the second, the Stingers were finally able to crack Deguire when Émilie Lavoie sniped a wrist shot past Deguire from the high slot. Unfortunately, for the home team, that was all they would get past the Sherbrooke native.
With 8:30 minutes left in the game, and the Stingers on the powerplay, Léonie Philbert fumbled the puck at her own blueline and with nothing but open ice ahead of her, Emma Piers sprung herself on a breakaway. Piers, a rookie at McGill, showed her precision as she beat Philbert under the arm to tie the game at 1-1.
McGill seized the momentum from there, and suddenly had the Stingers on their heels. Philbert was able to weather the storm, however, and force an overtime period.
In the extra frame, Lavoie was called for a four-minute penalty for contact to the head, setting up the Martlets in a favourable position for the game-winner. After killing off the first three minutes of the penalty, Laura Jardin took over.
Jardin sensed a scoring opportunity in front and weaved her way into the slot before firing a backhand shot over Philbert’s right shoulder and into the back of the net to claim the tournament opener.
Concordia will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 2, against the Bishop’s Gaiters. Last time the two teams met, the Stingers came away with a 5-2 win against the Gaiters, who are entering their inaugural season in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec.
The Theresa Humes Cup, formerly known as the Concordia Women’s Invitational Hockey Tournament, has been played annually since 1969 (cancelled last year due to COVID-19). In 1985, the women’s hockey team honoured Theresa Humes by renaming the annual tournament after her. Humes was a monumental figure in the Concordia athletics department, and helped the women’s sports programs reach the level at which they are at today. She was inducted into the Concordia Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.
