OTTAWA – Megan Kronwald of Gatineau, Que., scored a natural hat-trick as the McGill University women's hockey team opened preseason play with a 4-1 road victory over Carleton at the Ice House in the nation's capital, Thursday.
 
It was the first three-goal performance by a member of the Martlets since rearguard Mia Giles accomplished that feat at McConnell Arena against Ottawa on Feb. 11, 2024. The last Martlets forward to tally three was Jade Downie-Landry, also against the Gee-Gees, on Feb. 23, 2022.
 
It marked the first career goals at the university level for Kronwald, a 5-foot-6 forward who had one assist in 29 games overall during her freshman year. The 21-year-old accounting sophomore opened the scoring on a power-play at 9:03 of the first period, then gave the Martlets a two-goal cushion with the eventual game-winner at 18:41. Kronwald, who was recruited out of College Andre-Larendeau, put McGill ahead 3-0 at 12:09 of the second period.
 
Forward Catherine Foulem of Dieppe, N.B., had two assists in her first Martlets game. A graduate diploma student in oncology, Foulem has transferred from Boston University, where she played the previous four years. Also collecting a pair of helpers was Taylor Garcia, a sophomore forward from Ottawa.
 
Carleton's Hayden Serniuk broke the shutout bid just 27 seconds later but McGill regained the three-goal margin when the aforementioned Giles, a science sophomore from Hammonds Plains, N.S., replied with just 18 seconds left in the middle stanza.
 
McGill had a 26-23 margin in shots as goaltender Sarah Carmichael, a pharmacology senior from St. Lazare, Que., merited the start and collected the win, kicking aside all 10 shots faced. Midway through the contest, she gave way to senior Sophie Lajeunesse of Calgary, who stopped 12 of 13 shots.
 
Carleton starter Jenna Goertzen allowed two goals on 11 shots and was saddled with the loss. She was replaced at the midway mark by Kaitlyn Langille who saved 13 of 15.
 
The Martlets were 1-for-6 on the power-play and successfully killed of all three shorthanded situations.

The Ravens and Gee-Gees have left the RSEQ this season, to join the OUA conference. That leaves the RSEQ with just four teams, including McGill, Montreal, Bishop's and the defending national champion Concordia Stingers.
 
The Martlets (1-0) will now prepare for a lengthy road trip to Toronto next week. With McConnel Arena shut down for a major overhaul thsi season, McGill will practice all week at Place Bell, their new home in Laval, Que., for the 2024-25 campaign. The Martlets are slated to confront U of T at Varsity Arena on Thursday night, Sept. 19, followed two days later by a 1 p.m. matinee at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and a Sunday showdown at York on Sept. 22 at 1:15 p.m.
 
MARTLETS MURMURS: Fifth-year head coach Alyssa Cecere has a 23-member roster that features four freshmen, eight sophomores, four juniors and seven seniors....The geographical breakdown included nine players from Quebec, six from Ontario, two apiece from Alberta and New Brunwick, plus one apiece from Nova Scotia, Spain and New Zealand.
 
SCORING SUMMARY

2024-25 MARTLETS HOCKEy TEAM ROSTER

SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
CELL: 514-983-7012
E-MAIL:earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca