Martlets to host Concordia in semifinal tonight
By Earl Zukerman
MONTREAL – The Quebec university women’s hockey playoffs begin
Wednesday (March 4) with a pair of cross-town rivalries.
In Montreal, the No.1-ranked ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą Martlets, who went 18-0 for the
second straight year, will open their QSSF best-of-three semifinal
series against fourth-place Concordia (3-13-2) in a “Battle of
Montreal” at McConnell Arena. In Ottawa, the second-place Gee-Gees
(8-8-2) will host third-place Carleton (7-11-0) at the uOttawa
Sports Complex.
Both games are slated for a 7 p.m. start.
The teams switch locales for Game 2 of the series on Friday, with a
7 p.m. start at the CU Ice House in Ottawa and a 7:30 p.m. faceoff
at Concordia’s Ed Meagher Arena. If a deciding game is needed in
either series, it will revert back to the Game 1 venues on Sunday
afternoon. The third Concordia-±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą affair would start at 1 p.m.,
while the Carleton-Ottawa rubber match is set for 2:30 p.m.
The winners of both first-round matchups will cross paths in the
QSSF League Championship Series for the Ed Enos trophy, March
11-15, and perhaps more importantly, both will qualify for a berth
at the CIS national championship tourney in Antigonish, N.S., March
18-21.
Ottawa posted a 4-2 record in six games against the Ravens,
outscoring them 17-8.
The defending national champion Martlets are looking to extend
their undefeated streak to 48 consecutive contests against Canadian
university opponents, dating back to a 2-1 post-overtime shootout
loss to Alberta on Dec. 30, 2007.
In head-to-head competition with the Stingers, ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą has won 26 in
a row since losing a 2-1 decision at Concordia on Feb. 5,
2006.
This season, the Martlets swept all six confrontations, outscoring
the Stingers by a lopsided 54-1 margin and outshooting them 290-89.
The Martlets went 15-for-44 on the power play (34.1) and scored one
shorthanded goal against Concordia, which was 0-for-21 with the
man-advantage.
Netminder Charline Labonté, a junior from Boisbriand, Que.,
registered five shutouts in the six games and kicked aside 88 of 89
shots. The only player to put a puck past Labonté was junior
±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą Kelly Feehan of Kirkland, Que., at 1:08 of the third period
in a 5-1 win for the Martlets. Since then, Labonté has racked up a
shutout string of 198 minutes and 52 seconds against Concordia,
heading into the playoffs.
Ann-Sophie Bettez, a sophomore ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą from Sept-Iles, Que., won
the conference scoring title and finished second in the national
points race, with 24 goals and 30 assists for 54 points in just 18
games. The 21-year-old management major established Quebec
university single-season records in all three categories.
Freshman Marie-Andree Leclerc-Auger of Sherbrooke, Que., was the
top scoring rookie in the country and finished fourth in the CIS
scoring race with 18-28-46 in 18 contests.
Catherine Ward, a junior from Town of Mt. Royal, Que., had a
3-22-25 record in 15 games to lead all rearguards in assists and
rank second in points to Laurier’s Andrea Bevan, who played in 11
more games. Ward missed three contests while playing for Team
Canada at the under-22 world championships in Germany.
Four other members of the Martlets (D Cathy Chartrand, F Vanessa
Davidson, F Alyssa Cecere and F Carly Hill) will be back in the
lineup for the opening playoff match after missing the last four
while representing Canada at the world university games in
China.
QSSF WOMEN’S HOCKEY CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Wed., Mar. 4
7 p.m. – Concordia @ ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą (Game 1)
7 p.m. – Carleton @ Ottawa (Game 1)
Fri., Mar. 6
7 p.m. – Ottawa @ Carleton (Game 2)
7:30 p.m. – ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą @ Concordia (Game 2)
Sun., Mar. 8
1 p.m. – Concordia @ ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą (Game 3, if necessary)
2:30 p.m. – Carleton @ Ottawa (Game 3, if necessary)
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