LPHF | La Victoire prepares for its first regular season match

(Verdun) “We want to be aggressive, robust, fast. […] And we want to be fierce. » Thus Kori Cheverie described the desired identity of her team, Friday morning, a few hours before the opening match.

As the Victoire prepares to play its first regular season game on Saturday, let’s focus on its lineup, which varies considerably from that of last season…

From depth to attack

Forwards with a standard contract: Laura Stacey, Jennifer Gardiner, Alexandra Labelle, Dara Greig, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Maureen Murphy, Catherine Dubois, Abigail Boreen, Lina Ljungblom, Clair DeGeorge, Marie-Philip Poulin, Claire Dalton and Kristin O’ Neil

It only takes a quick look at the Victoire roster to understand that Kori Cheverie will count on greater depth in attack than last year. “It was one of our priorities to add a few pieces up front to have the depth we want across our four lines,” the coach rightly mentioned Friday morning after her team’s training at the Verdun Auditorium.

Several players were added to the offensive core already in place composed of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, Kristin O’Neill, Maureen Murphy, Catherine Dubois, Mikyla Grant-Mentis and Claire Dalton. Abigail Boreen and Clair DeGeorge, for example, both won the Walter Cup with the Minnesota Frost last season.

“We want winners in our locker room, players who know how to play in those moments,” Cheverie said. We also want to create winners. It’s a bit like asking yourself: do you become a champion before you become one? The answer is yes. You have to have championship habits before you become a champion. This is our approach. »

The Montreal team also adds Quebecer Alexandra Labelle, who knows the game of the Walter circuit having played with the New York Sirens last season. Three rookies, Jennifer Gardiner, Lina Ljungblom and Dara Greig, also made the roster.

According to Marie-Philip Poulin, the team has “good depth, with four very strong trios”. The captain expects fans to see a hard-working and hard-working group in action on Saturday.

“There are players with talent, but it’s more than that; On the defensive side, we take a lot of pride in playing well so that it creates more offensively,” she maintains.

Furthermore, it is no longer a secret that the LPHF game is robust. La Victoire will have some more physically imposing players in its ranks, such as Catherine Dubois and Clair DeGeorge. “Having bigger girls, a little stronger, will help because it’s very physical,” Poulin noted.

“We prioritized robustness in training,” Cheverie said. If we had to make it, we did, because we want to make sure that they will have experienced enough contact by the time the match starts. »

An improved defense

Defenders with a standard contract: Mariah Keopple, Cayla Barnes, Anna Wilgren, Kati Tabin, Erin Ambrose, Amanda Boulier and Anna Kjellbin

The defense was undoubtedly the weak point of the Montreal team last year. The general director, Danièle Sauvageau, has made no secret of wanting to improve this aspect of her team during the off-season. This is why she selected Cayla Barnes in the first round of the repechage, then the American Anna Wilgren and the captain of the Swedish team Anna Kjellbin in the 5^e et 6^e tours.

“It was an important point for us in the off-season to strengthen our defensive core so we could have multiple options,” Cheverie said.

Barnes, injured in a game against Canada during the Rivalry Series, missed the entire training camp. On Thursday, she practiced wearing a non-contact jersey. Friday, said non-contact sweater had taken the edge. It is therefore reasonable to believe in an imminent return, even if Cheverie did not yet know, on Friday, whether the defender would be able to play the opening match.

“She definitely adds a lot to our defensive core. She’s a big part of it, the coach said. […] We really want her to be 100% when she comes back. »

Barnes, who met the media for the first time on Friday, seemed happy to be back on the ice, having arrived in Montreal at the beginning of October.

“I think I can bring a lot of consistency, both offensively and defensively,” she said when asked what she thought she would provide to her new squad. “I’m strong in the defensive zone, but I can also be sneaky and contribute offensively. »

In total, four defenders from last season are back: Erin Ambrose, Amanda Boulier, Kati Tabin and Mariah Keopple. Ambrose will undoubtedly be one of those who will benefit the most from the arrival of new top defenders; last season, it was more than once used excessively by Kori Cheverie. In the second game of the playoffs, a 2-1 loss in the third overtime period, she spent more than 60 minutes on the ice…

« [Notre noyau de défenseures] is fantastic, Ambrose rightly said. I think we have robustness. We have players capable of moving the puck. We have very intelligent players. »

“We laughed a little because Barnes, Boulier and I combined, we’re not as tall as Laura Stacey! she continued. It’s exciting to see the different types of players we have. […] Collectively, it makes us very strong. I think we will have a lot of success this year. »

Full confidence in the goalkeepers

Goalkeepers with a standard contract: Ann-Renée Desbiens, Elaine Chuli and Sandra Abstreiter

Like last year, the Victoire has three goalkeepers under contract. Unsurprisingly, Ann-Renée Desbiens and Elaine Chuli are back. Added to them is the German Sandra Abstreiter, who obtained a contract at the end of the training camp.

Desbiens, who needs no introduction, kept goal for 16 games during the inaugural season and maintained a 92.3% save rate. As for Chuli, she was very convincing during her eight outings, concluding the campaign with a save rate of 94.9%.

With a smile on her lips, Marie-Philip Poulin described the trio of Montreal goalkeepers as “remarkable”. “It gives us confidence,” noted the captain. When you know you have a babysitter behind who can fix all your mistakes, it helps a lot. »