(Montreal) The victory of Montreal began its last part of the regular season, shortly after 2 p.m. on Saturday, on the hats. As if his survival depended on it. About half an hour later-perhaps without the Montrealers knowing it-the Ottawa load players had eliminated everything in his match. A match that the victory still wanted to win, which it did.
Posted yesterday at 3:26 p.m.
Michel Lamarche
Canadian press
Because the duel between the load and the skeptres of Toronto, which had started at noon in the queen city, required a period of extension, the troop of the head coach Kori Cheverie was therefore guaranteed to finish in the first row of the general classification.
This scenario materialized when the victory held a 2-0 lead in the first period against the Sirens of New York, in Newark, thanks to goals from Marie-Philip Poulin, from 11e Second game, and Catherine Dubois, less than four minutes later.
For Dubois, it was her sixth goal of the season and a third match in a row where she found the bottom of the net.
The 19the Aim of Poulin this season-a summit in the LPHF-in the second period allowed the victory to build a cushion of 3-0 after 40 minutes of play, a way towards a gain of 3-2 on the Sirens, which were already eliminated.
“It’s never easy in this league, it’s really difficult to play it. There will always be ups and downs, and everything is based on our ability to get up. We experienced a slightly more difficult period, not so long ago, but it’s part of the process. We have to roll up our sleeves, fight and go back to work, “said Poulin, whose goal in the first period is the fastest in the history of the league at the start of the game.
Today, we wanted to get up and finish in the front row. We wanted this victory and we obtained it. This group is never satisfied. We want to improve every day. We want to push the limits and that’s what is most beautiful.
Marie-Philip Poulin, Captain of the Montreal Victory
In the third twenty, Sarah Filler (13e), which should deserve the title of recruit par excellence in the LPHF, and Alex Carpenter (11e) have foiled Ann-Renée Desbiens, who received 29 washers.
If Poulin finished the season at the forefront among the spacings, Filler, who also participated in the goal of Carpenter, completed the calendar at the top of the marker ranking with 29 points, the same total as Hilary Knight (15-14), of the Fleet de Boston.
From his 29 points, Filler amassed nine against victory, including four goals.
Place at the series
Although we know that the victory (12-7-3-8-53 points) will play its first two games in his series three of five in place Bell on May 8 and 11, he remains to be determined who will be the opponent.
It will be either the charge or the Frost du Minnesota which crushed the Fleet 8-1 in the other match on the calendar on Saturday.
This is a decision that the general manager Danièle Sauvageau must make known this Sunday evening around 6 p.m., under the innovative regulations of the LPHF, established last year, which allows the champion team of the season to select its rival in the first round.
Last year, as champion of the regular calendar, Toronto had opted for a semi-final series three of five against Minnesota, which had finished in fourth place. After two victories by laundering, the Torontoles lost the next three games and were eliminated.
We have the privilege of choosing our opponent, which is not an easy decision.
Kori Cheverie, head coach of Montreal’s victory
“All teams are difficult to face,” says the head coach. And then, when you choose one, it probably arrives with additional motivation. So, for us, we will have to face them all, anyway. Regardless of the team we will choose, it will be a harsh battle. »»
An eventful afternoon
For the first time of the season, the six LPHF training courses were in action on the same day. Also, with five teams facing a qualification or positioning issue, you had to expect a fertile afternoon in twists and turns.
The day started with the duel between the two Ontario teams.
The scepters first needed to defeat the charge in regulation time to hope to get ahead of the victory at the top of the ranking. It would then have been necessary for the victory to lose in regulation against the Sirens to allow the Toronto training to double the victory, due to a greater number of games won in regulation.
However, the scepters lost 2-1 in overtime following the goal of Katerina Mrazova halfway from the additional period.
This goal from Mrazova means that the burden qualified for the playoffs for the first time in its history. For their part, the scepters (12-3-6-9) complete the season with 48 points, second in the ranking.
“It’s really exciting. It brings a little relief, ”said Mrazova.
Brianne Jenner scored the other goal of the charge, only 53 seconds after Sarah Nurse broke the equality from 0-0 to 12 m 15 s of the second period.
Furthermore, a year after swepting through Montreal and participating in the final against Minnesota, the players of La Fleet (9-6-5-10-44 points) were eliminated due to a lower number of victories acquired in regulatory time than the charge (12-2-4-12-44 points) and the Frost (10-5-4-11-44 points), despite a total of identical points.
This same reasoning also means that the charge, with its 12 victories in regulation, ranks third in front of the Frost.
