By Michael Boriero
It took only two games for the Bishop’s University Gaiters women’s hockey team to notch its first ever win in U SPORTS, as they defeated perennial cup contenders, the University of Montreal Carabins, 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.
It was a special moment for every member of the Gaiters squad, according to head coach Dominic Desmarais, since they were able to accomplish the historic feat in front of a raucous home crowd at the Jane & Eric Molson Arena.
“They brought us energy, they brought us momentum at some points, so it was great for our players to get that experience in front of that kind of crowd. We saw it at a couple of basketball games in the past, but now it was for us, so it was amazing,” said Desmarais.
After falling behind 3-2 early in the second period, the Gaiters, energized by an emotional opening ceremony and passionate fanbase, managed to tie the game up at 3-3 with a goal from Jamie Aspropotamitis coming midway through the middle frame.
Bishop’s was heavily outshot by Montreal. Their opponents fired 34 pucks at standout goaltender Charley Wing, who turned aside 31 shots for her first win of the season. Despite being outplayed in the offensive zone, the Gaiters were more opportunistic than Montreal.
Gabrielle Rousseau provided the heroics for Bishop’s in the third period, as the defenseman popped in the game-winning goal on the power play with just over 10 minutes remaining on the clock. The Gaiters then shut down the defensive zone, sticking to the team’s strategy.
