Last-minute goal by Selects saves robbery from being committed

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

The Chronicle

Highway robbery was almost committed Saturday afternoon at the Dorval Arena, but thanks to a last-minute goal by the bantam AA girls’ Lac St. Louis Selects, was staved off.

The Inter-Regional League Selects, whose roster includes four players from Pointe Claire and one from Dorval, completely outplayed the Lanaudière Pioneers in the contest, out- shooting them 51-10. However, thanks to some very good goaltending by the Pioneers’ Gabrielle Forget, and far too many Selects shots aimed right at her chest protector, the scored remained tied 3-3 with a little over a minute left to play in the third period.

That was when Jenifer Pouliot banged in a loose puck past Forget with her team on the power play to finally put them in the lead. It was her second tally of the contest. Sylvie Anne Bégin then scored into an empty net to seal the deal and give the Selects a 5-3 victory.

“I just shot a loose puck in front of the net and it went in,” Pouliot said. “I was just happy to see it go in. It was kind of a frustrating game for us. Forget did play well, but we also made her look a lot better.”

The Selects trailed 1-0 after the first period before Johany Hatch and Bégin with the first of her two gave the home team a 2-1 lead after two. The teams then scored three goals within a span of a minute of a half early in the third frame with Pouliot scoring her first to make it 3-2 before the Pioneers tied it at 3-3. That set up Pouliot’s heroics.

“Listen, we completely outplayed the Pioneers,” said Selects head coach Paul Fredette. “Sure the score was close, but we just couldn’t bury our opportunities. Overall, I was satisfied with the way we played. We worked hard, cycled the puck well, and most importantly came out with the win.”