National Ringette League comes to the West Island

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

If you’ve never experienced the amazing speed and flow of a National Ringette League (NRL) game live, you’re in for a treat during the coming months.

The expansion open AA Lac St. Louis franchise, based right here in the West Island and comprised of some of the finest area players, began play Oct. 13. Its head coach is Kirkland resident Glenn Keeble, a former professional football player with the Montreal Alouettes as well as a former atom and mosquito head coach with the Lakeshore Football Association. Although Keeble may not yet be a household name around NRL circles, knowledgeable observers will tell you he comes to the job well prepared. He studied and coached ringette on teams his daughter Cortney, a current Lac St. Louis player, participated on, and is a former president of the Beaconsfield Ringette Association. As well, whether in football or ringette, he has earned a reputation of being a calming influence behind the bench or on the sidelines, never resorting to yelling at his own players or the referees. He possesses a temperament perfectly suited for a team that will likely absorb its share of lumps as it makes its way thorough the NRL in its inaugural year.

“We lost our first game against Waterloo, but the first thing he (Keeble) told us in the room after it was over was we had to work on our strong points,” said Lac St. Louis goaltender Marie-Eve Potvin, who along with Cortney Keeble played on the Quebec team at last year’s Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse. “He brings some new ideas to us and a fresh approach. We all respect him.”

Despite the fact her team lost 8-2 to the powerful Montreal Mission last Friday night at the Sportplexe 4 Glace, Potvin was outstanding. Montreal led 2-0 after the first period, but took over in the second half.

“The Mission’s conditioning and knowledge of the game simply took over in the second half,” said Keeble. “We had a couple of lulls as well and penalties hurt us. Still, the girls have nothing to lower their heads about.”

Lac St. Louis was missing Cortney Keeble, who has been out with a virus. Glenn Keeble said things look to improve in a few weeks though, when Pointe Claire resident Karen Stewart, who played defence for the Mission last year, joins the club as will smooth skater Melissa Lavergne, who is in Gatineau right now.

For more information on Lac St. Louis and the NRL, go to www.nationalringetteleague.ca.