After Manon Rhéaume and Charline Labonté, Ève Gascon became the third woman to play a regular season game in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ), Saturday, in Gatineau.
However, the Olympiques goaltender had to admit defeat by a score of 5 to 4 once morest the Rimouski Océanic, in overtime.
For this historic event, the Slush Puppie Center was packed with 4,700 spectators. The fans also made their support felt for Ève Gascon before the game, when the starting lineup was announced.
The excitement was palpable. Both teams seemed to study each other early in the game. Ève Gascon gave in on the Océanic’s first shot, following just over eight minutes in the first period: Julien Béland surprised Gascon with a shot in the upper part of the side of the mitt.
The 18-year-old was not let down followingwards, standing up to the visitors’ attacks on a few occasions. Gascon made 18 saves in the loss.
The Olympiques tied the game with five minutes to go, before seeing the visitors show some opportunism during two power plays. Alone in the enclave, Alexander Gaudio first deceived the vigilance of Gascon at the end of the period, then Luke Coughlin hit the target with a shot from the blue line in the second period.
Rimouski spoils the party
The Olympiques then rebounded by attacking the Océanic net. Manix Landry closed the gap first; Donovan Arsenault then tied the game early in the third; Mathieu Bizier finally gave the crowd favorites the lead.
Alexander Gaudio brought both teams back to square one, however, with less than six minutes to play.
Xavier Cormier gave the Océanic the victory in overtime, with a shot in the top of the net released during a two-on-one run, to spoil the party in Gatineau.
Gascon became the first woman since 2000 to play in the QMJHL. Labonté had kept the net for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in 2000-2001 and Manon Rhéaume had done the same a decade earlier, with the Draveurs de Trois-Rivières.
