By: Benjamin Lussier
After a championship-winning season in 2024- 2025, the Gaiters faced a transitional year with a new head coach last season. The Gaiters women’s hockey team also lost two key players, Erika Gagnon and Élianne Michaud, to the new Université Laval Rouge et Or program, which created additional challenges for our hockey team heading into the 2026-2027 season. With a younger roster and several players expected to take on larger roles, the Gaiters will look to get better results than last year as they will try to re-establish themselves as national championship contenders. As it stands, the Gaiters are already off to a good start this season with two convincing wins over the Concordia Stingers and the McGill Martlets.
The Gaiters opened their season at home with a convincing 6-2 win against the Concordia Stingers which set the tone for the rest of the weekend. For the third consecutive season, Noémie Fontaine scored the first Gaiters’ goal of the season early in the first period. Just 35 seconds later, Justine Turcotte, assisted by Laurence Lafleur, followed suit to put the home team up by two early. The score remained unchanged until midway through the second period when Sophie Urquhart scored her first USports career goal for the Stingers. The Gaiters’ offence then exploded in the third period, striking twice early to extend their lead to 4-1 before sealing the victory with two late empty-net goals. The third period also saw Laurence Lafleur record her first goal at the USports level, marking a significant achievement for the standout freshman.
The Gaiters looked to secure the weekend sweep as they travelled to McGill’s McConnell arena, and they did it dominantly, leaving little chance to the Martlets in a 7-0 victory. Gabrielle Santerre led the way with her first goal of the season in the first period, and the Gaiters never looked back. Daphné Boutin added two goals, including the first power-play goal of the season to their first-period tally. After a scoreless second period, Naomie Côté scored twice shorthanded in the third, further extending the Gaiters’ lead. Boutin finished the game with four points, while Jolianne Tremblay recorded a 23-save shutout in the first start of her U SPORTS career, capping off a commanding performance by the Gaiters.
With two wins to kick off the season, the Gaiters have positioned themselves in first place in the RSEQ conference after the first weekend of activities. Their offensive production, combined with a shutout performance, gives them plenty to build on as they turn their attention to their first-ever matchup against the Laval Rouge et Or, who are still looking for their first win of the season, on Oct. 23.
