Stingers Lose 1-Goal Game to Reigning National Champions

Concordia’s Women’s Hockey Team Concludes First Half of Season 3-7

SportsDavid S. Landsman — Published December 2, 2013 | Updated December 3, 2013 at 2:42am

“I think they played a fantastic game, they just have to keep pushing forward,” said assistant coach Nathaniel Marx. “We can’t go off our record alone; a lot of 2-1 games, we’re really close to breaking out.”

After back-to-back penalties by the Stingers’ Erica Porter and Marie-Joelle Allard in the opening five minutes, the Carabins made no mistake on their second attempt, with rookie forward Sara Lachance burying the puck under Stingers goaltender Briar Bache to make it 1-0 within the first six minutes of the contest.

The Stingers had numerous chances, and actually outplayed the Carabins in the first period, outshooting them 14-6, with four power plays. Unfortunately for Concordia, Carabins netminder Elodie Rousseau-Sirois was on her game, turning them all aside.

The Carabins looked rejuvenated in the second period, determined to show why they’re the reigning national champions and currently ranked no. 3 in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport. But the Stingers weren’t about to give the game up that easily.

Early in the period, after Stingers rookie Jesse Keca managed to stop a Carabins breakout, captain Erin Lally was denied in close by inches off Rousseau-Sirois’s pad.

But Carabins forward Demmie Charlebois finally scored the insurance goal late in the period when she backhanded a shot that fooled both the Stingers defence and Bache as it went top corner and rolled around the posts before crossing the goal line for a 2-0 lead heading into the final frame.

The third period saw the Stingers narrow the gap when rookie Kerianne Schofield scored her second goal in as many games after a perfect breakout feed from Anne-Julie Deschenes landed on Schofield’s stick as she found the back of the net to narrow the gap to 2-1.

Despite the last 10 minutes being all Concordia on offence, they couldn’t add another goal to equalize as the Stingers would fall 2-1—a margin they’re familiar with, having lost four of their seven games this season by the very same margin.

“I think the next five weeks off will be good for them to get a break,” said Marx. “And we’ll come back in the second half really strong. We’re looking forward to that. We just have to keep chipping away at it, cause it’s close. It’s really, really close.”

Next up for the Stingers is the Theresa Humes Tournament, which will take place Jan. 3 to 5 at Ed Meagher Arena.