Women’s Hockey (6-12-0 RSEQ)

Hosted Montreal (12-5-2 RSEQ) on Sunday February 12, 2012, at uOttawa Minto Sports Complex

uOttawa goal scorers: Watson (Desforges) 2:35 1^st period;  Kauffeldt (Bouchard, Desforges) 18:29 1^st period; Chown, PP, (Desforges, Watson) 8:07 2^nd period;

The Gee-Gees offense generated plenty of scoring opportunities on Sunday afternoon, but one chance too many was squandered as the Montreal Carabins scored a late goal to take a 4-3 win. A second period lapse in an otherwise disciplined game by the Gee-Gees let Montreal back in the game after the Gee-Gees had taken a 2-0 lead.

“We had too many opportunities that we couldn’t finish,” commented Yanick Evola after the game, “Some lines did a great job, but even if you’re making great plays you need to finish those plays. I think we should have scored more goals tonight.  If we put a couple more in this would have been an easy win.”

The goals the Gee-Gees did score were impressive, and showed off the skill of many of the team’s younger players. On the first goal of the game first year Valerie Watson (St-Hyacinthe, Que.) danced in from the blue line, making a series of moves to work her way to the front of the net, and went top shelf for her fourth goal of the season.

Next, Fannie Desforges (Fournier, Ont.), whose speed had been causing the Carabins problems throughout the first period, took a pass from in the neutral zone and was able to out-skate her defender by going to the outside. She then slid the puck over to Jessica Bouchard (Montreal, Que.) on the doorstep and after a scrum in front of the net Asha Kauffeldt (Quadeville, Ont.) stuffed the puck over the line.

The Carabins pulled within one with a power play goal on a re-directed point shot midway through the second, but the Gee-Gees quickly capitalized on a power play opportunity of their own. Watson, alone at the centre of the blueline, fed the puck down to Desforges who faked a shot and made a cross-ice pass to Carling Chown (Creston, B.C.) who one-timed a strong shot into the back of the net.

Montreal drew even after a long possession in the Gee-Gees’ zone had the exhausted Ottawa players unable to clear the puck. However, Ottawa looked strong in killing off a couple of penalties late in the second period to keep the score knotted at 3-3.

Stéphanie Mercier (Smooth Rock Falls, Ont.) made a big glove save on a Montreal 2-on-1 with 12 minutes to go, and the game appeared headed to overtime as the teams played an evenly matched third period. However, Montreal’s Edith Aubert-Lehoux,  scored the game winner on a shot from the blue line which flipped up and over Mercier’s shoulder after the Carabins won a face-off in the Ottawa zone. Desforges drew a tripping penalty trying to break into the Montreal zone, giving the Gee-Gees a final 6-on-4chance with the net empty, but the Gees’ best scoring chance was blocked by the Carabins, who held on for the victory.

The Gee-Gees remain in fourth place heading into the final weekend of the regular season schedule.