Top Montreal Mission features four West Islanders

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

The first thing one notices when watching a National Ringette League (NLR) game is the amazing speed and flow of the game, and how tremendously fast these athletes skate.

Add their adept ability to cleanly spear the whirling donut-like ring off a pass on a stick that has no blade while flying up ice or standing outside the opposing goal-crease, and it doesn’t take long to realize ringette is not simply a variation on hockey. It’s a crowd-pleasing sport of strategy and skill, combining the rules of hockey, basketball and soccer, perfectly suited for, but unfortunately, not part of an Olympic competition.

The NLR, whose objectives are to move ringette into the mainstream of Canadian sports activities and encourage greater public awareness of ringette while creating better competitive opportunities for ringette players made a stop Saturday afternoon at the Doug Harvey Arena in Notre Dame de Grâce. The host Montreal Mission, a powerhouse whose roster features four West Island players welcomed Ontario-based Cambridge Turbo.

The local foursome, including forwards Kim Poirier and Catherine Cartier along with defencemen Karen Stewart and Dominique Deveau, not only saw loads of ice time, each played a huge part in the Mission’s convincing 9-1 victory over the Turbo, which entered the game in first place in the league’s Ontario Division. Playing much of the game on a line with the speedy Poirier, Cartier scored four goals to lead her team, which heading into this weekend’s play remains undefeated. She was arguably the best player on the ice. Stewart meanwhile played a steady game on defence, as did Deveau.

“I would like to one day play for Canada at the international level,� said Cartier, a 29-year-old Pierrefonds resident who has medalled with three Quebec teams at prior Canadian Ringette Championships. “I feel I am ready to take that next step. Playing with these girls has helped my game a lot, though. Just playing on a line with somebody like Kim Poirier will improve anyone’s game. She’s so much fun to play with.�

At 32, Poirier has achieved almost everything there is in ringette. The Kirkland resident played for Canada in the 1994, 2000 and 2002 world championships, winning Most Valuable Player accolades in ‘94. She has also participated in 15 national championships, including being part of last year’s bronze-medal winning Quebec team. Being a busy mother and full-time physical education teacher, one might surmise she would consider not making the necessary commitment to play in an elite league like the NLR.

“I have because I still love the sport,� said Poirier, who has to be considered a strong future candidate for the Canadian Ringette Hall of Fame. “I still love the speed and intensity, and the friends I have on this team. As long as I can keep up with the 18-year-olds, I’m happy.�

Poirier said her one remaining goal is to win a gold medal at the national championships, something that could very well become a reality if the Mission keeps playing as it is right now. That would also be sweet for Dollard des Ormeaux resident Deveau, who at 39 is the elder statesman on the team and for Stewart, a 22-year-old Pointe Claire resident.

“The biggest step in my ringette career so far was last year, when I moved from the Lac St. Louis team to the Mission,� said Stewart. “We ended up winning bronze at nationals and that really helped my game. We expect to get back this year representing Quebec and win gold.�