Champlain - St. Lawrence - The Final Sprint: Lions Face Alma in Last Regular Season Home Game

After lining up 17 consecutive wins and claiming two collegiate showcase championships in November and December, the Saint Lawrence Lions Hockey team played through a recent mid-season slump posting a less than impressive 9 and 5 record. This up and down period was a difficult part of the team’s journey. Fortunately, the team has been playing well in the last few weeks showcasing its usual swagger characterized by a more intensive and enthusiastic approach to both on and off-ice preparation and playing the team game. With one week remaining, the Lions are in a dog-fight to the finish to complete the regular season in second place overall. Saint Laurent, Sorel-Tracy, Lafleche and the Lions are all potential candidates who can secure second place in the regular season standings. Finishing high in the standing is crucial to setting the stage for the Division Championships and Provincials in the following weeks. Our goal is to be the best team in April and take home top honors at the provincials. Feverish rivalries and league parity make the competitive reality explosive. The will to win, execution and composure are part of the solution the Lions must bring to the ice if they expect to challenge for a provincial title.

Theirry Morin Tremblay has been outstanding in goal in the last few games. Forwards jean-Philippe Sansfacon, Dominic Lampron and Hubert Joncas are leading the team offensively with timely scoring and exceptional play in all phases of the game. Veteran defensemen Laurent Dumont and Francois Fortin are playing their best hockey while providing all star level play in their final season.

Last Saturday, the Lions made a statement at Lionel Groulx with an upscaled portrait of domination leading to one sided 8-3 victory. The Lions outshot their rivals 48-23. Saint Lawrence scoring came from Philippe Olivier Moreau (3), Vincent Boivin (2), Francois Fortin (1), Guillaume Kelhetter (1), and Guillaume Berube (1). Cedrick Lafrance made 23 saves to record his 5th victory of the season.

This weekend’s home game against league leading Cegep d’Alma promises to be a barn burner as the rivalry developed between these two teams in this inaugural season has been intense in every sense of the word. The teams are evenly split in showcase and regular season play with three wins on each side. Saturday’s game will set the stage for an up and down battle between two teams with, speed, skill and very strong competitive drives. If you want to get the best bang for you buck and see one of the best shows in town, come and support the boys in blue in their final home game this Saturday, 7h30 at Arena Acitivtal.

The Lions will also honor graduating Seniors Laurent Dumont, Mathieu Champagne, Francois Forting and Guillaue Kelhetter in their final appearance at Activital arena. On this special occasion, players will receive commemorative plaques highlighting their careers at Saint Lawrence. This game is also Saint Lawrence staff and student final opportunity to qualify to win one-week dream vacation for two in sunny Florida. Each ticket purchased to attend a game represents a chance to win the trip.