Montreal victory | Abby Boreen, the surprise from Minnesota

Quiz: who is the only player from the Victoire de Montréal to be among the top 20 scorers in the LPHF at the start of the season?

Marie-Philip Poulin ? Non. Laura Stacey ? Non plus.

Come on, one last try.

Kristin O'Neill, you say? Not even!

This player is Abby Boreen, this attacker selected, to everyone's surprise, at the end of the third round of the draft last summer.

When we talk about “general surprise”, it’s because Boreen won the Walter Cup with the Minnesota Frost last season. However, she was a reservist; not because she didn't have the required talent, but because she was a full-time pharmacy student, which prevented her from signing a standard contract with the team. She nevertheless played nine games during the season, collecting five points.

What you also need to know is that Boreen is a native of Minnesota. This is where she grew up and studied. For all these reasons, therefore, everyone expected that the Frost would quickly acquire her in the draft, through which she had to go through to be able to play in the league this year and sign a proper contract.

“We were happy and surprised, or surprised and happy – I don’t know which came first! – that it is available,” says Danièle Sauvageau in an interview with The Press.

Some “words in the air” wanted Boreen to only agree to play at home, especially since her studies were not finished, but the general director did not know if these words were true or not. She therefore contacted the player's agent, who denied the whole thing.

Boreen told herself that “what had to happen would happen”, she told us after Victory training at the Verdun Auditorium. She was “super excited” when her current teammate, Marie-Philip Poulin, announced her selection on the microphone. It was at that moment that she knew that she would have to, for the first time, leave her native Minnesota…

“I didn't really know what to expect by leaving home for so long, but it's a great adventure for me,” she says today. I'm at the age where it's time to leave home and experience life outside of what I'm used to. It's a new experience. »

A new experience which, so far, has been rather profitable…

The smile of relief

It was a long time before Abby Boreen and the Victory came to the three-year agreement announced in October, and the reason is quite simple: “there was a lot of planning involved,” explains the player. This planning obviously concerned his studies.

“There was never any question of her not coming,” assures Danièle Sauvageau. There are areas of education where you can stop for two or three years and then start again without losing anything, but you can't do that in pharmacy. »

The agreed operation is very simple: each time Boreen has an exam, which is “about twice a week”, a proctor is present to ensure that everything goes as it should. The correct word for this person is “proxy.”

Speaking of hockey, let's say that things are already going pretty well for the 24-year-old forward. Not only has she scored two goals and two assists in four games so far this season, but she is one of the club's best players. She also made jaws drop on Saturday when she served two clever, even spectacular, feints to a Toronto defender before scoring with a shot into the top of the net.

Watch Abby Boreen's goal against the Toronto Scepters

“She brings a lot of speed. She is completely connected, from a game intelligence point of view,” notes head coach Kori Cheverie.

“She is a very robust player, with good size, good speed, good throwing,” says Ann-Renée Desbiens. I'm very happy that she joined us. »

Boreen scored the very first goal of the Victory season on November 30 during the opening match at Place Bell. The striker's smile, once back on the bench, said it all. Cheverie, as happy as she was, took her in her arms.

“It's important as a coach to be emotionally intelligent about where a player is, where she's coming from,” the coach said. A goal like the one[Abby] scored in the first game, that brings a lot of relief. »

“Built for the series”

We can therefore say without much error that Abby Boreen's adaptation to her new team and her new city is going rather well.

“The girls are great. I love it, she said. It's nice to meet new people, to get out of my Minnesota. The hockey is great, the coaching staff, Danièle, the organization… everyone really welcomed me with open arms. »

“I’m still learning,” she adds. I think I do a pretty good job, but there are things I can be better at. »

Both Desbiens and Poulin highlighted the discipline of their new teammate, who spends a lot of time in her school books after each training session.

“We see that she has a feeling of belonging to Montreal,” Poulin recalls. It warms my heart to see that. »

Boreen also arrives with experience that cannot be bought: that of having been part of the club that won the first Walter Cup in the history of the Professional Women's Hockey League.

“You know, the expression often used, which says “Is it built for the series?”, says Danièle Sauvageau. We couldn't have had a better review. We've seen some players play Frozen Four matches, but what we see here [d’Abby Boreen]we saw it last year. »