By Reece Bastien – Contributor

After finishing the season in fourth place in the RSEQ league, posting a 12-10-3 record, the Bishop’s women’s hockey team found themselves facing the #3 ranked Concordia Stingers for the semi-finals in a best two out of three match. The first game took place in Montreal, at the Stingers’ arena on Thursday, Feb. 23. Concordia took the first game with a final score of 5-1. Bishop’s captain, Marie-Camille Théorêt, was the author of the only goal. Despite the difficult loss, Gaiters goaltender Aglaé René de Cotret played well, as she turned away 36 of 41 shots. 

The Gaiters had to quickly put that loss behind them as they faced the Concordia Stingers at home at the Jane & Eric Molson Arena on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Unfortunately, the game did not turn out the way the Gaiters had hoped. The Stingers scored two goals in the first period, and did not look back after that. Concordia scored their fifth goal early in the third. Neleh Vigneau Sargeant got Bishop’s on the board midway through the third period. The Stingers managed to get away with the win on the road, putting an end to the Gaiters’ semi-final. Aglaé René de Cotret made 18 saves in the loss. 

Despite their first-round exit, a couple players on the women’s hockey team received high honors by the RSEQ league. Team captain Marie-Camille Théorêt was named to the First Team All-Star. Théorêt put up a very respectable 13 points and a +2 rating as a defenceman, over 23 games. Théorêt was not the only person on the team to get recognition. Neleh Vigneau Sargeant was named to the RSEQ Second Team All-Star, with over 25 regular season games. Vigneau Sargeant managed to get her name on the scoresheet 21 times with 12 goals and 9 assists. Justine Turcotte was named to the RSEQ All-Rookie team. In 24 games, Turcotte managed to put up 6 goals and 8 assists in her rookie campaign. Alongside Turcotte, Regan Garreau was also named to the RSEQ All-Rookie Team. In spite of being a defenceman, Garreau proved her adaptability when she was placed on the wing for a brief stint. Garreau put up 8 points and a +3 differential in 25 games. The head coach of the hockey team, Dominic Desmarais was named coach of the year for the 2022-23 calendar. Despite many injuries throughout the season, Desmarais was able to guide the team to a playoff spot. 

Lastly, Maude Pépin finished with a very impressive 23 points in 25 regular season games. Of those 23 points, Pépin found the back of the net 10 times. Between the pipes, Aglaé René de Cotret had a great season. De Cotret had a 2.29 goals against average, as well as an impressive .920 save per cent.

The BU community is looking forward to the women’s hockey team returning back to the ice for the 2023-2024 season!