Stingers 2, Carabins 0: Concordia pulls away in conference race
The Stingers defended an early lead in a rowdy game against the Université de Montréal
The Concordia University women’s hockey team beat the Université de Montréal Carabins 2-0 in an aggressive game on Jan. 30.
“It was a hard game," said defender Angélie Jobin. "You need to stay focused all game long, but we had a good spirit on our bench, and we kept our head in the game.”
Concordia came out to a small but dedicated crowd of Stingers fans at CEPSUM Arena, keeping Montreal on their toes with a strong offensive drive. Defender Rachael McIntyre got the puck after a scramble at the net and hit it straight past Montreal goalie Maude Desroches 18 minutes into the first period.
“She’s someone who just plays tough, hard hockey. She’s a ball of great energy for us, has worked hard and has been on a journey, and she did an incredible job,” said head coach Julie Chu of McIntyre.
The Carabins were frothing at the mouth for a chance to get it back and upped their aggression, pushing Concordia hard in the second and third periods.
“I think against these guys it’s always a battle and we always go in knowing it’s gonna be a battle, but I think it’s so much fun, such a good rink and such a good crowd,” said Courtney Rice, who assisted McIntyre’s goal.
The Stingers matched the Carabins’ energy, earning five penalties throughout the game, but kept Montreal at bay with a few excellent saves by goalie Belle Mende. Despite Montreal’s strong defence, Concordia kept up, earning 20 shots on goal.
“I think it was pretty good," said forward Kate Furlong. "It was a choppy game, but I think we showed some character at the end and played well."
By the time the third period rolled around, Montreal went into desperation mode. With just over two minutes remaining and trailing by one, the Carabins pulled Desroches, leading to a 6-on-5.
“When the other team pulls their goaltender, there’s opportunities for them to score, but I thought our structure was really good," Chu said. "Our poise with the puck and the decisions we made with it were really good."
Concordia didn’t panic, and after some trouble getting the puck out of their zone and some fantastic saves by Mende, forward Alexis Bedier hit the puck into Montreal’s empty net with five seconds left in the game.
“It’s about enjoying this win until midnight, and once we get up the next day, it’s about resetting and refocusing on the good things we can do to be successful tomorrow,” Chu said.
The team got right back to business on Jan. 31, taking down Montreal 3-0 in their second matchup in two days.
Concordia heads to McGill University for a matchup with the Martlets on Thursday, Feb. 5. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at McConnell Arena.
