New high school hockey team finding early success

The newest team in the Manitoba Women’s Hockey League has gotten off to a decent start.

Ile des Chenes-based Gabrielle-Roy and Ste Anne’s Pointe-des-Chenes have long combined to ice a team in the Winnipeg High School Hockey League and this season the Cavaliers have now started play in the MWHSHL.

The team is coached by Kevin Lansard, who graduated from Pointe-des-Chenes. Lansard, who is involved in multiple levels of hockey across the region, said coaching a high school team has been an adjustment.

“It’s a different culture with school being a part of hockey also,” Lansard said, adding he worked closely with the team before the season started to ensure they could ice a team.

“The girls are fantastic… I haven’t coached many of these girls before, just getting to know them now has been really great.”

The MWHSHL is treated differently than other high school hockey leagues. Players can participate in both high school and minor hockey as well if they want.

“You don’t want to get too crazy in your systems or any of those things, you want to have a really good foundation,” Lansard said.

“They can play here and go back to their other team and play there… There’s some challenges from that perspective, but we’ve had great support and the girls are excited.”

The league’s structure has also changed for this year, with the top two tiers playing a combined schedule for the regular season, which will act as seeding for the playoffs.

Gab-Roy/Pointe des Chenes are off to a solid start, nabbing early shutout wins over Lorette and Leo-Remillard. Lansard said the team’s defensively responsible forwards mean defenders can stay aggressive in the attacking zone with pinching, allowing the team to keep possession longer.

That philosophy was on display in the team’s 2-0 win over Leo-Remillard, with the Cavaliers barely allowing a shot on net in the second period.

“We want our (defense) active, we want to put a lot of pressure on the other team constantly and the girls are really buying into that,” Lansard said.

The two schools are French-language, and Lansard is hoping to inject more and more instruction en Francais throughout the season.

“I’ve got to get my French back a bit,” Lansard said with a chuckle.

“I’ve got to be a little careful, I don’t want (the players) to start correcting me… It’s fun to see the support around the team. The girls really put the jersey on with pride.”

In addition to Lorette playing in the top division, the Springfield Sabres are playing in tier 3 of the MWHSHL.