With a mix of veterans and a strong crop of rookies expected to contribute immediately it will be an exciting season for the 2012-13 Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team.
The team will begin RSEQ conference play with nine first-year players on its roster, and head coach Les Lawton expects a sharp learning curve.
“I think we’re pretty well balanced and we’ve got some depth at forward,” said Lawton who is in his 31st year with the Stingers. “The inexperience (on defence) might hurt us early on, but as we progress I’m sure those players will adjust.”
Olympian Caroline Ouellette has joined Lawton’s coaching staff and she will do a lot of skill development with the young Stingers. Her addition will definitely help with the players adapt quicker to the high level of play in the Quebec conference.
Some key components are missing from last season such as right winger Catherine Rancourt and shutdown defencemen Maggie MacNeil, Alynn Doiron and Meghan George.
Much of Concordia’s youth movement this season will take place on the blueline and in the crease. Jillian Ferguson, Charlène Viens, Danielle Leonard and Margaret Hotte are all rookies who will be relied on heavily this season on defence. Fortunately they will have help from returning veteran blueliners like Laurie Proulx-Duperré who is in her final season with Concordia, fourth-year defender Mary-Jane Roper and Gabrielle Meilleur who is in her third season.
In goal, rookie Chelsey Hodges has impressed and will get the opening game start against the McGill Martlets. With 2011-12 starting goalie Marie-Pier Remillard not returning to Concordia there will also be plenty of opportunity for the young Stingers goalies to shine.
“It’s been pretty competitive in the goaltending situation,” said Lawton. “(Hodges) has the potential to be a great goalie but (Caroline Switalski and Carolanne Lavoie-Pilon) are returning and have developed their games and will be challenging (for playing time).”
The strength of this team is an experienced offensive unit that should be able to provide plenty of goal support and make life easier for the young backend of the team. Despite the loss of Rancourt the team is returning with forwards Emilie Bocchia, Alyssa Sherrard and fifth-year players Mallory Lawton and Véronique Laramée-Paquette Concordia’s leading scorer last season.
The Stingers seem poised to make a return to the post-season after posting a 4-15-1 record and finishing in last place in the Quebec conference last year. Lawton hopes 2012-13 will be a building block for future success.
“I know that our recruiting year was as good as (McGill’s),” said Lawton. “In time I think we are going to get back to where we want to be.”
Concordia opens its regular season today at 2:30 p.m. against McGill at Ed Meagher Arena on the Loyola campus.
