By Benjamin Lussier
After a disappointing end to their last season by losing in the RSEQ playoff semi-finals, the Gaiters Women’s hockey team enters the 2026-2027 season with only one objective in mind: returning to the national championship tournament.
The team will look different this season, as several players are leaving due to graduation or transfers. Though these losses are notable and important, they also mean that new opportunities are there for freshmen and sophomore players to find their space in the lineup. The Gaiters will have to find a way to get the most out of their particularly young lineup that only includes two seniors and one graduate student.
With so much youth on the roster, several players will have the opportunity to take on bigger roles this season. Among them is second-year forward Sandrine Chouinard, who was named on the USports all-rookie team last year. She will have the chance to establish herself in the top six of the lineup as she will try to build on her solid rookie season that saw her tally 16 points in 24 games. Another forward who will have the chance to solidify her role is second-year Rosalie Bouchard. She scored three power-play goals last year, which put her second on the team in that category, and she will try to build on that trend again this year as she gains experience. It will also be interesting to keep an eye on freshman Laurence Lafleur, who finished 4th in scoring at the collegiate level last season playing for Champlain- Lennoxville. Hopefully she can have the same impact at the university level as the Gaiters will try to improve on the 2.33 goals per game they had last season, which placed them third in the conference. The same opportunity exists amongst the goaltenders this year. With the transfer of Erika Gagnon, second-year Laurence Boivin will look to take over the starting role. Boivin won five of her eight starts last season and will look to do more of the same this season as she establishes herself as the new Gaiters number one goaltender. Behind her, freshman Jolianne Tremblay will provide depth as she starts her university career. Of course, the Gaiters will still be able to count on star veteran Gabrielle Santerre, who will try to continue her dominance in the RSEQ and lead the team to another championship.
Last season, the Gaiters ranked 19th in goals per game, 22nd in goals against per game and 20th in power play efficiency, respectively, out of 35 teams at the national level. For the Gaiters to achieve their goal of returning to the National Championship, the development of the young players will also need to translate to stronger team play. Another necessary aspect of improvement for the Gaiters is discipline, as they were the sixth most penalized team in the country last season. With a young roster taking on bigger responsibilities, limiting mistakes, improving special teams and finding more consistency offensively and defensively will be key to achieving their objectives.
Despite the young roster, the Gaiters have the potential to build on last season and take a step forward. With young players ready to take on bigger roles, and a new opponent in play with the Rouge et Or joining the RSEQ, the upcoming season should bring a new level of competition. If the Gaiters can turn their youth and potential into consistent team play, they could be in a strong position to make another push toward the national championship.
