Eric Lavoie
Good things come to those who wait.
That motto reflects the season the Remparts du Richelieu have had. After two losses to their fiercest rivals, the As de Québec – who were the Quebec representatives at the 2019 Esso Cup – the Remparts had to settle for a pair of ties in their final two meetings.
Owners of the second-best record in the Female U18 AAA division of the Ligue de hockey d’excellence du Québec (LHEQ), six points behind the As, the Remparts came to the Coupe Dodge, Hockey Quebec’s provincial championship, with a 0-2-2 record against the As and in the midst of a late-season slump.
“We came to this tournament while we were in a tough moment of our season,” head coach Maude Russell explains. “We lost two of our last three games that, quite honestly, we shouldn’t have lost.”
Richelieu arrived in Drummondville determined to get back to basics and focus on what had made it successful throughout the season. It downed Sherbrooke (3-2), Laval-Montréal (2-0), Mauricie-CDQ (3-1) and Lac St-Louis (2-1) to earn a place in the championship game – against the As.
The tournament finale was an emotional game. After a scoreless three periods and no goals in overtime, the two teams went to a shootout to determine who would head west to Okotoks.
“I think I had five heart attacks and [shortened] my life by 10 years during that game,” laughs Russell, who had a front-row seat to the epic duel.
“The game was played mostly on the perimeter and scoring chances were kept very low.”
After a goal by Daphnée Gagnon and two saves by Lori-Ève Gendron, Ann-Sophie Bertrand scored to confirm the Remparts’ first victory of the year over the As and punch their ticket to the national championship.
Winning the provincial title was a welcome relief after a year full of hurdles.
The patience of the Remparts’ players was sorely tested, including a long break from from mid-December until early February caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the inability to get on the ice for practices and games, the players thought their season would never resume.
Despite the absence of light at the end of the tunnel, they found ways to keep their team spirit high.
“Rosalie Couture has been a great team builder, motivating others to get out on the [ski] slopes and do team activities,” says Russell. “Marie-Jeanne Gagné also invited girls to her outdoor rink.”
What can fans expect when they watch Remparts at Canada’s National Women’s U18 Club Championship?
“We have an outstanding offence,” says Russell, who has had the chance to coach the league’s two best scorers, forwards Éloïse Caron (46 points in 26 GP) and Doryane Hallé (37 points in 25 G).
“The team also has a goalie tandem (Gendron and Alicia Choinière) that has always played together throughout the years and this season, both have had sub-2.00 goals-against averages,” adds Sina Bourbeau, the integrated director of the Remparts.
“We’re really looking forward to the Esso Cup,” Russell says. “We’re very proud to have seen this group of girls come together and achieve this result. We are getting ready for a lot of adversity and tough games against the best teams in the country.”
Coupe Dodge Preliminary round: defeated Harfangs de Sherbrooke 3-2 , defeated Amazones de Laval-Montréal 2-0 Quarterfinal: defeated Stars 55 de Mauricie-CDQ 3-1 Semifinal: defeated Warriors du Lac St-Louis 2-1 Final: defeated As de Quebec 1-0 (SO)
Record (W-L-T): 20-6-2 (2nd in LHEQ) Goals for: 106 (2nd in LHEQ) Goals against: 50 (3rd in LHEQ) Longest winning streak: 5 (Oct. 24-Nov. 14, March 19-30) Top 3 scorers: - Éloïse Caron – 31G 15A 46P (1st in LHEQ) - Doryane Hallé – 18G 19A 37P (2nd in LHEQ) - Marie-Jeanne Gagné – 16G 10A 26P (6th in LHEQ)
Record: 5-0 Goals for: 10 Goals against: 4 Top 3 scorers: - Marie-Jeanne Gagné – 0G 6A 6P - Ann-Sophie Bertrand – 4G 0A 4P - Éloïse Caron – 3G 1A 4P
2010 – Remparts du Richelieu | sixth place | 1-4 | 10GF 19GA 2016 – Express du Richelieu | silver medal | 4-3 | 22GF 27GA
ANN-SOPHIE BERTRAND physical two-way forward… steps up in big moments
ÉLOÏSE CARON great shot… natural scorer… good vision
LORI-ÈVE GENDRON very technical goaltender… calm and in control between the pipes… give up few rebounds… gamer
Ann-Sophie Bertrand – Champlain College Éloïse Caron – Cégep de Limoilou Rosalie Couture – Cégep Édouard-Montpetit Élizabeth D’Aigle – Cégep Édouard-Montpetit Daphnée Gagnon – John Abbott College Lori-Ève Gendron – Cégep Édouard-Montpetit Jessika Grove – Cégep André-Laurendeau Doryane Hallé – Cégep André-Laurendeau Marie-Catherine Mondou – Cégep Édouard-Montpetit Juliana Vieira Pirollo – John Abbott College