MONTREAL – Five members of the McGill University women's hockey team were among the honorees as the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec announced their laureates for the 2019-20 season.
 
Team captain Emilia Cotter of Toronto, merited the league's Leadership & Community Service Award, while goaltender Tricia Deguire of Sherbrooke, Que., and forward Jade Downie-Landry of St. Jean, Que., both earned first-team all-star status. Forward Lea Dumais of Beaconsfield, Que., and rearguard Kate Devries of Dollard des Ormeaux, Que., received second team honours.
 
(SEE COMPLETE LIST OF ALL-STARS BELOW)
 
Cotter, a 22-year-old science senior majoring in kinesiology, is the sixth McGill recipient of the conference's nomination for the national Marion Hillard Award, presented to the U SPORTS hockey player who best combines academics, leadership and citizenship. The 5-foot-7 defensive stalwart dressed for all 20 league games and scored two goals along with a pair of assists and only six penalty minutes. She has volunteered for numerous community endeavors over her five years with the Martlets, including the team's annual "Shoebox Project" game – in aid of the organization that distributes gift-filled boxes to homeless women in Montreal -- and the "McGill Students for Best Buddies", an international not-for-profit program that creates opportunities and friendships for people with intellectual disabilities.

Cotter assists the Special Olympics cause by serving as the McGill Martlets coordinator for a "Motionball" fundraiser and attending hockey practices for children with disabilities. She spends 4-5 hours per week assisting patients and doctors in the Cancer Care Unit at St. Mary's Hospital in Montreal. As co-president of the McGill Varsity Council, she helps plan financial literacy and time-management workshops for student-athletes. She also assists in the organization of numerous other events, including the council's annual Christmas gift-wrapping initiative for Sun Youth, a Montreal-based organization that provides services for needy families. Finally, she has served as the hockey team's liaison and leader for the "Bell Let's Talk" mental health program as well as the annual "Shoot for the Cure" game, a fundraiser for breast cancer research and awareness.
 
Deguire is a three-time all-star who stands 5-foot-8 between the pipes. She started in 18 of the team's 20 games and posted an 11-7 record with five shutouts, a stingy 1.67 goals-against average, and a .939 save percentage. The 22-year-old kinesiology senior led all Quebec league starters in games, minutes (1,115), wins, shutouts, GAA and save percentage. She helped guide the Martlets to tie for the best defensive record in the league (1.95 GAA). In 71 career appearances over her four years, Deguire has a 46-24 regular season record with 13 shutouts, a 1.68 GAA and a .936 save percentage. Over all games, she will head to the nationals with a 76-48-1 career record and 26 shutouts in 129 contests.

Downie-Landry, a 5-foot-9 centre and two-time all-star, finished fourth in the conference scoring race, despite missing 25 per cent of the season with injuries. She averaged 1.2 points per game and posted an 8-10-18 record in 15 contests. A 24-year-old psychology senior who serves as one of the team's alternate captains, she either scored or assisted on 34 per cent of McGill's 53 goals. Downie-Landry registered three power-play goals, two shorthanded markers, one game-winner and twice tallied the first goal of a game. She heads to the nationals with a career record of 73 goals and 162 career points in 136 contests overall since joining the team in 2016.
 
Dumais, a 5-foot-6 forward, had a career-best season, leading the team in goals and ranking second in points with a 9-8-17 record and only four penalty minutes in 19 league games. A 22-year-old management senior who is majoring in accounting and finance, she scored four times on the power-play, in addition to a pair of game-winners, one overtime marker, two insurance goals and she netted the first goal in a game on one occasion. Dumais head to nationals with a career record of 43 goals and 83 points with only 30 PIMs in 145 outings overall.
 
Devries, an imposing 5-foot-11 defenceman, also had a career-best season. The 22-year-old bio-engineering senior was McGill's top-point-producing rearguard and ranked third among the league's blueliners with 13 points – 12 of them assists -- in 20 games. Her lone goal was an overtime winner against Ottawa on Nov. 1. The quarterback on McGill's league-leading power-play, Devries led the league in power-play assists with eight. In 109 career contests over her five seasons, she heads to nationals with an 8-36-44 record and 24 PIMs.
 
2019-20 RSEQ Women's Hockey Major Awards & All-Stars

MAJOR AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rosalie Bégin-Cyr, Concordia
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Emmy Fecteau, Concordia
COACH OF THE YEAR: Julie Chu, Concordia
LEADERSHIP AWARD: Emilia Cotter, McGill
 
FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS:
Goal: Tricia Deguire, McGill
Defence: Brigitte Laganiere, Concordia
Defence: Christine Deaudelin, Ottawa
Forward: Rosalie Bégin-Cyr, Concordia
Forward: Jade Downie-Landry, McGill
Forward: Audrey Belzile, Concordia
 
SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS:
Goal: Aurélie Dubuc, Ottawa
Defence: Kate Devries, McGill
Defence: Alexandra Nikolikdakis, Concordia
Forward: Claudia Dubois, Concordia
Forward: Mélodie Bouchard, Ottawa
Forward: Léa Dumais, McGill
 
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM:
Goaltender: Aurélie Dubuc, Ottawa
Defence: Annabel Faubert, Montreal
Defence: Nicole MacNeil, Carleton
Forward: Emmy Fecteau, Concordia
Forward: Alice Fillion, Ottawa
Forward: Joannie Garand, Montreal
 
 
SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca