Five Stingers named to the RSEQ All-Star teams, with Coach Julie Chu being named Coach of the Year.
After a heartbreaking second-place finish at U SPORTS Nationals in 2023, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team set out on a revenge tour.
The Stingers wrapped up their 2023-24 season with a perfect 25-0 record. This makes them the first women’s hockey program to go undefeated since the McGill Martlets during the 2012-13 season.
“With the ending of our season last year, we really wanted to come out and [play] hard,” said Stingers alternate captain and third-year forward Jessymaude Drapeau. “We wanted to perform and work hard and expect to win, but we didn’t expect to win them all. So, it’s nice to win that many games.”
Through 25 games, the Stingers found copious offensive success. They scored 107 goals for a 4.28 goals per game average and a 35.9 shots per game average. The goal differential favoured the Stingers +78.
“I think we knew we were going to be a good team, but like everything, it comes down to what we are going to do this year, what are we going to do in our development, what’s our mindset to stay focused on the moment,” said head coach Julie Chu. “Because like every season, regardless of wins and losses, there’s ups and downs and everything in between. It’s about staying true to the culture that we have.”
The foundation of the Stingers is rooted in a team-first culture. Veteran players showcased their talents, setting the tone throughout the campaign. Stingers captain Emmy Fecteau averaged a point per game with nine goals and 16 assists in 25 games. Chloé Gendreau and Émilie Lavoie produced 26 and 27-point campaigns respectively, and second-year goaltender Jordyn Verbeek garnered a 1.33 goals against average and .931 save percentage in her 11 wins.
Chu emphasized having a mindset toward growth to compete hard during the later stages of the season. “That’s always the unknown…Our players and our staff did a really good job of staying present and making sure that we were focused on each day and not just what is at the end or what happened in the past.”
This preexisting culture aided the clean adjustment many first-year Stingers players made at the U SPORTS level. First-year forward Émilie Lussier broke out with 18 goals and 16 assists in 24 games, ranking her second nationally in goals and fifth in points.
As for the Stingers’ top recruit of 2023, goaltender Arianne Leblanc had a memorable rookie campaign. Coming off a gold medal run with the Canadian U18 team, Leblanc completed her first U SPORTS season with 12 wins, a 1.07 goals against average and a .946 save percentage, ranking her second and fourth in U SPORTS respectively.
Their performances awarded Lussier and Leblanc 1st team All-Star selections and All-rookie team honours. Fecteau was awarded the Leadership and Social Engagement Award, along with a 2nd team All-Star spot. She is joined by Lavoie and fourth-year defender Léonie Philbert.
As for coach Chu, she was awarded Coach of the Year honours.
“I think we had a great leadership group that brought them into our culture,” said Drapeau, speaking about the rookie class. “They were unbelievable. They followed us, followed the path and played amazing.”
The Stingers prepare for their RSEQ semifinal series against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. Game one will be played at home at the Ed Meagher Arena on Thursday, Feb. 22. The puck-drop is set for 7:30 p.m.
“The key is going to be to work hard the way we did all year long,” said Drapeau. “To be confident and know that we are prepared. The 25 games that we played prepared us for the playoffs and it’s the most exciting time of the year. If we just trust our preparation and know that we did great things this year, and continue like we have, everything is going to be fine.”
