Montreal trumps Dinos in hockey
TORONTO — The University of Calgary Dinos fell one goal short in their bid for a second straight CIS women’s hockey championship on Sunday.
Sinead Tracy opened the scoring for the Dinos and Stephanie Zvonkovic gave them a 2-1 lead in the second period, but the Universite de Montreal Carabins scored twice in the second and hung on for a 3-2 win.
It was a bit of revenge for Montreal, who had lost 5-1 to Calgary in the 2012 championship final. On Sunday, Calgary just couldn’t come back from 3-2 down despite outshooting Montreal 25-18.
“You have to believe that you can come back and we were unlucky,” said Dinos bench boss Danielle Goyette in a news release.
“Two or three times we could have put the puck in the net,” she added of being stonewalled by goalie Elodie Rousseau Sirois.
“Sometimes the bounces just don’t go your way and tonight it felt like the puck was square. The way we finished the season, we played together and played as a team and that’s what I’m proud of.”
The bounces were already not going Calgary’s way heading into the game when they were without three-time Olympic champion Hayley Wickenheiser due to a lowerbody injury.
Montreal team captain Kim Deschenes scored two goals and earned MVP honours in leading the Carabins to the first CIS title in program history.
“To win a Canadian championship is a big accomplishment,” said Carabins head coach Isabelle Leclaire in a news release. “It’s a real honour to win the first of our organization. We will remember that moment for the rest of our lives.”
Despite starting the program only four years ago, Montreal has made three national championships, winning the fifth-place game in 2010, collecting silver in 2012 and earning gold Sunday.
“We won a championship in four years, and that’s the same time that you have to prepare for the Olympic Games,” said Daniele Sauvageau, general manager of the Montreal Carabins women’s hockey program and former Team Canada head coach.
“It’s unbelievable,” commented Deschenes after the game. “It’s magic. It’s not about who scored the goals, it’s about our memories in years to come.”
The Dinos, who got two assists from Russian Olym- pian Iya Gavrilova, opened the scoring just 5:14 into the contest when Tracey jumped on a rebound and deked around Rousseau Sirois.
With Montreal on a 4-on-3 advantage, Deschenes evened the score with her first tally of the game when she buried an Elizabeth Mantha rebound with 23 seconds remaining in the first period.
The Dinos dominated the first half of the second frame and finally scored when Zvonkovic banged in a Gavrilova rebound off the back post.
Carabins forward Marion Allemoz notched the equalizer just three minutes later when she ripped a shot through the legs of Dinos goalie Amanda Tapp.
Tapp kept the game equal with a sprawling pad save on a Deschenes breakaway; but one minute later the Carabins team captain picked up a rebound firing it into the top corner of the net for the game-winner.
Dinos’ Stephanie Ramsay and Gavrilova were named tournament all-stars.