MONTREAL -- Senior rearguard Emilia Cotter scored the insurance goal and added an assist as fifth-ranked McGill skated to a convincing 4-1 victory over the No.9 Montreal Carabins to capture the Ed Enos Trophy as champions of the RSEQ women's hockey league, Saturday, before a crowd of about 400 at CEPSUM Arena.

It was the first Quebec league title in three years and the 12th overall for the Martlets, who swept the best-of-three series, including a 4-2 result in the opener on Thursday at McConnell Arena. Both Quebec finalists, however, advance to the U SPORTS Final Eight national championship in Charlottetown, March 12-15.
 
McGill, which is riding a six-game win streak, improved to 6-1 on the season against the Carabins and now owns a 54-29 overall record in 83-lifetime meetings since Montreal joined the Quebec conference in 2009.  The bitter rivals, who are based on opposite slopes of Mt. Royal, could cross paths again this season, -- about 1,500 kilometres east of Montreal -- as they will both travel to the nationals, hosted by the University of Prince Edward Island, where McGill, as Quebec champs, will benefit from preferential seeding.
 
"We played a well-structured game," said head coach Peter Smith, who now owns a 534-229-33 record in 796 games overall during his 20 seasons behind the McGill bench. "I didn't think we played at our pace in the first period but then we talked about it and made a couple of adjustments. In the second and third we played a very disciplined game at a good pace. 

"The Martlets hockey program is a process from start to finish and you can't evaluate our team (after a slow start) from September to October. You need to evaluate us for the progress we make over the course of the year. We have such a hard-working group and now that we've gotten to this time of year, our hard work is paying off. I'm happy for the players, they've played well, worked hard and won the RSEQ championship. We haven't won in a couple of years and it was terrific."
 
Kellyane Lecours of Victoriaville, Que., opened the scoring at 7:57 of the second period, registering her first of the post-season after a crisp pass from linemate Marika Labrecque, who collected a pair of helpers in the contest.
 
Stephanie Desjardins, a 5-foot-4 forward from Grand Falls, N.B., potted what proved to be the game-winner at 12:50 of the middle period, assisted by defenceman Cassidy Bell. It was the second marker of the post-season for Desjardins, an industrial relations junior, who improved her career record to 25-23-48 in 103 games overall.
 
However, Carabins forward Eloise Dube responded just 33 seconds, reducing the deficit to 2-1.
 
Cotter, the veteran team captain from Toronto, restored a two-goal cushion at 17:49 of the middle period to put her team up 3-1 going into the final stretch. She received a cross-ice pass from Labrecque -- who was stationed in the faceoff circle -- and rifled a shot from the blue line that found the back of the net.
 
"Cotter is an amazing leader, she brings so much energy, into the room, on the bench, and on the ice. She's just the Energizer Bunny out there and has had a great season," noted Smith of his two-year captain, who was announced on Thursday as the conference nominee for the national Marion Hillard Award, which recognizes leadership. "She's done so well, is an inspiration to her teammates and I'm going be sad to see her go, along with our four other graduating players."
 
All-conference centre Jade Downie-Landry, a senior from St. Jean, Que., put the game out of reach,  scoring her sixth goal in four post-season contests, at 10:00 of the final stanza. On the play, she was sprung free on a breakaway after a long pass from defenceman Kess Notargiacomo. It was the third career point -- her first in playoffs -- for Notargiacomo, a sophomore from Pte. Claire, Que.
 
Martlets netminder Tricia Deguire kicked aside 31 of 32 shots faced, as her undefeated playoff record improved to 4-0 with a stingy 1.00 goals-against average and a .960 save percentage. The senior from Sherbrooke, Que., will take a 76-48-1 career record into nationals with 26 shutouts in 129 career games overall.
 
McGill, which led the Quebec conference in both special teams this season, was 0-for-1 on the power play and successfully snuffed out all three shorthanded situations. In four post-season contests, they operated at 27.3 per cent with the extra attacker (6/22) and 87.5 per cent PK efficiency (14/16).

The Martlets, who finished second at Nationals last year after a heart-breaking 1-0 loss to Guelph in the gold medal game, are scheduled to fly out to the Maritimes on Monday evening, March 9, while the Carabins will depart on Tuesday morning. It will be the final appearance in a McGill uniform for five graduating seniors: Emilia Cotter, Zoe Todd, Shana Walker, Olivia Ramos and Nicole Howlett. 

McGILL MURMURS: This marked the 100th career contest for Christiana Colizza, a third-year forward born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and raised in Ottawa... The hockey Martets are the fifth different McGill varsity program to win their league championship this season, joining both swim squads, the artistic (synchro) swim team and the cross-country running Martlets.

SCORING SUMMARY

 

Années	Champions	Résultats aux championnats canadiens
2019-20	McGill	Pas de championnat canadien en raison de la Covid-19
2018-19	Montréal	Montréal : 3e place / McGill : 2e place
2017-18	Concordia	Concordia : 3e place / Montréal : 5e place
2016-17	McGill	McGill : 2e place / Concordia : 4e place
2015-16	Montréal	* Montréal : 1re place / McGill : 7e place
2014-15	McGill	McGill : 2e place / Montréal : 3e place
2013-14	Montréal	Montréal : 2e place / * McGill : 1re place
2012-13	Montréal	* Montréal : 1re place
2011-12	McGill	McGill : 3e place / Montréal : 2e place
2010-11	McGill	* McGill : 1re place
2009-10	McGill	McGill : 2e place / Montréal : 5e place
2008-09	McGill	* McGill : 1re place / Ottawa : 6e place
2007-08	McGill	* McGill : 1re place / Ottawa : 5e place
2006-07	McGill	McGill : 2e place / Ottawa : 6e place
2005-06	McGill	McGill : 3e place
2004-05	Concordia	Concordia : 6e place / McGill : 4e place
2003-04	Ottawa	Ottawa : 2e place / McGill : 3e place
2002-03	McGill	McGill : 3e place
2001-02	Concordia	Concordia : 5e place
2000-01	Concordia	Concordia : 4e place / McGill : 3e place
1999-00	Concordia	Concordia : 3e place / McGill : 2e place
1998-99	Concordia	* Concordia : 1re place / McGill : 5e place
1997-98	Concordia	* Concordia : 1re place / UQTR : 3e place
1996-97	Concordia
1995-96	Concordia
1994-95	(pas de ligue)
1993-94	Concordia
1992-93	Concordia
1991-92	Concordia
1990-91	Concordia
1989-90	Concordia
1988-89	Concordia
1987-88	Laval
1986-87	Concordia
1985-86	John Abbott
1984-85	McGill
1983-84	John Abbott
1982-83	Concordia
1981-82	Concordia
1980-81	Concordia
* : Champion canadien (le premier championnat universitaire canadien a eu lieu à l'hiver 1998)