RECAP: Women’s hockey drops season opener against Montreal in front home crowd

On Friday night, the Gee-Gees women's hockey team took home ice for their first puck-drop of the 2023-24 regular season.

Welcoming the Montreal Carabins, it was a rematch of the grueling 2022 RSEQ quarterfinal series, where the Gee-Gees fell in overtime of game three.

Ottawa was unable to avenge themselves, giving up three goals in the second period and ultimately falling 4-1.

The opening 20 minutes were scoreless on both ends, but the energy shifted the moment the second period began.

38 seconds into play, the Carabins scored the first goal of the night. Montreal went on to score another two goals before ten minutes had passed.

Despite the three-goal deficit, the Gee-Gees didn't show any signs of giving up. Angelique Proulx fired the puck past Montreal's goalie with 20 seconds left in the period, getting the Gee-Gees on the board before the second intermission. 

"As a team when we started playing to our strengths we did well, there are things we have to work on, and those things cost us in the first ten minutes of the second period," said Gee-Gees head coach Stefanie McKeough.

In the third, the Gee-Gees came out looking to even out the score, and although there were a handful of great chances, nothing went in. Montreal sealed the deal with an empty net goal.

Proulx's goal was assisted by Kylie Lalonde, and Gee-Gees goaltender, Mahika Sarrazin, finished the game with 28 saves from 31 shots.

While McKeough's debut as Ottawa's head coach starts with a loss, there is lots of promise for the Gee-Gees between their strong veteran leadership and eight exciting rookies.

"[The rookies] did well, as the season gets going if you give the rookies the chance early, they'll only develop confidence and only get better," McKeough said. "They're not here for one year, they're here for four or five so that's kind of the goal."

The Gee-Gees are back in action at the Minto Sports Complex next Saturday, Oct. 21, against their crosstown rivals. The Raven's will be visiting for a 7 p.m. puck-drop.