Leighton Geraghty – Contributor 

The second-ranked Bishop’s Gaiters have kicked off to an electric start to the RSEQ season. Tied with Concordia at the top of the Standings, the Gaiters are 6-1 in their first seven games of the season. As the Voice of the Gaiters, I get the luxury of being able to commentate on their home games, and let me tell you, this team is the real deal. Although they faced a tough off-season by losing their head coach and bringing in seven new faces to the team, everyone has bought into one another and have showcased that they are here to stay. Freshly promoted Head Coach Alexandra Boulanger has shown her trust in her team, allowing them to play a very aggressive style of play. This past weekend, on the penalty kill, Freshman Forward #27 Rosalie Bouchard went coast to coast before being stopped by the McGill netminder. She followed the shift up by netting her third goal of the season on the power play. Fellow Freshman #77 Sandrine Chouinard is off to a fiery start with nine points in her first seven games of USports action. The trust that Coach Boulanger has shown has allowed the players to play freely. 

Photo courtesy of Heather McKeen Edwards

An interesting look into the team’s preseason saw the sensational forward Gabrielle Santerre “struggle.” Struggle to the standard of Santerre. She was kept scoreless through the first four games of the regular season. This is uncharacteristic of Santerre. Although the start was not what she wanted, she still showcased great leadership, being very reliable in the DZone and putting her teammates in positions to succeed. The Gaiters’ only loss so far comes to the Concordia Stingers, where they fell 6-2 in their first matchup on a Friday evening. That same weekend, the Gaiters battled to a 3-1 win on Sunday, against the Stingers. Santerre was the difference maker in the game on and off the scoresheet. She ended the game with a pair of goals, which is very impressive, but the part that was more impressive was finishing the game at 52 per cent from the faceoff dot. Since then, Santerre has been on a three-game goal streak with five goals over the past three games. 

Bishop’s scoring comes by committee, with three players above a point per game and an additional seven players around .5 points per game. The depth of the team has helped them come away winning tough games, as they have been brought to overtime three times this season and have come out on top every time. Another great reason for the early success is the goaltending. Ericka Gagnon is back for her third year and has been standing tall for the team. Freshman netminder Laurence Boivin, out of Andre Laurendeau, is 3-0 with a .955 save percentage and a 1.33 goal against average. For those who aren’t hockey fans, let me reword this: “She is a brick wall!” 

From top to bottom, this team has what it takes to make it back to where they were last March. After being crowned National Champs last year, everyone questioned if they would be able to do it again. The start to their season has sent a message around the country that they are here to stay. Make sure you make a trip to the Jane and Eric Molson arena and take in the action. The Gaiters touch home ice next Nov. 30 at 3:30 p.m. against McGill. Pack the crowd, and show support!