LENNOXVILLE, Que – Jade Downie-Landry of St. Jean, Que., scored once and added a pair of assists as the visiting McGill women's hockey team blanked Bishop's 4-0 to officially open their preseason schedule, at Molson Arena, Sunday.
 
It was the first career victory for Martlets head coach Alyssa Cecere -- who took over after Peter Smith retired last year -- but had to wait out the entire 2020-21 season, which was wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic.
 
"It feels good to get back behind the bench and get the games going again," said Cecere, who reached the national gold medal game in each of her five seasons as a forward with the Martlets. "I'm glad to see the girls back on the ice, it was a really good feeling."

The Martlets led 1-0 after the opening period and 3-0 after two.
 
Downie-Landry, a fifth-year physical and health education senior who assisted on the first and third goals, made it 4-0 at 2:12 of the final frame.
 
Senior Laura Jardin was credited with the game-winner, netting a power-play goal at 16:23 of the first period. Penn State transfer Katie Rankin, a first-year grad student from Kanata, Ont., made it 2-0 with her first career goal in a Martlets uniform at 8:48 of the middle stanza. Rankin's uncle (Dr. Jay McMullan) and grandfather (Dr. Jack McMullan) both played varsity hockey at McGill. 

Nine minutes later, veteran Christiana Colizza put the game out of reach with another power-play marker, at 17:44 of the second period. It was her 14th goal in 101 career contests with the Martlets overall. A physiology senior born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and raised in Ottawa, she is the sixth member of the Colizza clan to suit up for a McGill team. The genealogy includes her father (Vince), as well as three uncles (Joe, James and Sam), in addition to a great uncle (Vincent). All of them played football, while James and Sam were two-sport athletes who also played hockey.
 
Goaltenders Sophie Lajeunesse and Tricia Deguire shared the shutout.
 
Lajeunesse, a civil engineering freshman from Calgary, was credited with the win in her first career appearance. She started and turned aside all 13 shots faced before being replaced at 10:32 of the middle period. Her father (François) and uncle (Marc) both played hockey for McGill, while her mother (Valerie Bender) played volleyball with the Martlets and her cousin (Nicole Lajeunesse) was a member of the track and field team.
 
Deguire, a master's student in kinesiology and physical education who hails from Sherbrooke, also made 13 saves.
 
BU, which also split the goalie chores, had a 26-24 edge in shots on net. Faith Miller started between the pipes, saved eight of nine shots and was charged with the loss. She was replaced by Charley Wing, who played the final 29:28 and kicked aside 12 of 14 shots.
 
The game was much more physical than usual and featured 10 penalties, including six to the Gaiters. McGill was 2-for-5 on the power-play and erased all three shorthanded situations.

"I was pleased to see our power-play click so early in the season," Cecere said. "We're trying some different things there and attempting to be more creative but we'll need to keep working on that."
 
McGill now turns their focus to the challenge of three games in as many days when they compete at the Theresa Humes Tournament at Concordia, Oct. 1-3. The Martlets open on Friday at noon against the Stingers, then play the Montreal Carabins on Saturday at 7 p.m. The medal round is slated for Sunday.
 
MARTLETS MURMURS: Coach Cecere has announced that Jade Downie-Landry, a fifth-year senior, has been appointed team captain of the Martlets… The alternate captains include the aforementioned Christiana Colizza, along with Laura Jardin, a bio-resource engineering senior from Calgary, and Stephanie Desjardins, an industrial relations senior from Grand Falls, N.B.
 
BOXSCORE
 
 
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Off.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca