Women’s Hockey: Stingers Get Cook-ed Out

Stingers Women’s Hockey Team Runs Into Wall In 2-1 Pre-Season Shootout Loss

SportsDavid S. Landsman — Published September 30, 2014

The Stingers were stymied by Tommies goaltender Taylor Cook, who stood on her head throughout most of the contest, making 37 saves through regulation and overtime before making five out of six saves in the shootout.

Stingers head coach Les Lawton remained positive with his young squad. The Stingers will have 10 new recruits on their team this year.

“We’re still a relatively young team, 15 players are first or second-year,” Stingers head coach Les Lawton said. “It’s going to take us some time to grow as a team, but I think we’re a lot better team than we were a year ago.”

It was a great start out of the gate for the Stingers, looking to improve in the ranks after making the playoffs last year in fourth place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec conference before bowing out in two games to the top-ranking McGill Martlets.

The first 10 minutes were a one-sided affair with the Maroon and Gold leading in shots by a 10-0 count. But they couldn’t solve Cook.

Finally, just under six minutes into the third, the crowd cheered as fifth-year veteran and last year’s team leading point-getter Alyssa Sherrard found the back of the net, making it 1-0 for Concordia.

But, just under five minutes later, while on a Tommie powerplay, the score became equal after Marina Sergina broke out past a defender, and wired a shot top shelf past Berger-Lebe, tying the game up at one apiece.

When overtime saw no winner prevail, the game was decided by a shootout, despite the shot count in Concordia’s favor by a 38-to-23 margin.

The first five shooters kept the game tied after Valerie Wade and Suzie Sauriol scored. In the sixth round, Tommies’ head coach Peter Murphy sent forward Lauren Henman out for a second shot and she scored again. Stingers’ Lawton opted with rookie Cassiel Lalande-Lajeunesse, who didn’t score, giving the Tommies’ the narrow victory.

Despite the loss, Lawton said he was impressed with his young squad.

“We definitely improved in every position,” he said. “We added some size up front and the back end seems to be on the right track. I think the depth is definitely there.”

Forward Alyssa Sherrard said she feels confident about her squad for the new season.

“This year we’re a whole different team, and I can definitely see us finish top three, at least,” Sherrard said. “The rookies we have this year are phenomenal, and I know it’s only been a couple of games this year, but they’ve all done so well, and contributed.”

“This year we’re way closer as a whole, than ever before and I think it’ll work better on and off the ice.”

The Stingers wrap up the pre-season with a three-day tournament, from Friday to Sunday at Western University, before beginning their season Oct. 17 with the Université de Montréal Carabins at the CEPSUM.