Regional softball teams score spot in conference finals

Mike Pouliot credits team building events like a pool party and barbecue, along with lots of hard work, with helping the regional softball team he heads capture second place in the province, and the right to represent Quebec later this month in the Eastern Canadian Championships.

The Lac St. Louis AA Lions Cadet girls softball team walked away with the silver trophy during the provincial finals, held at Michel-Martin Park in Île-Perrot, on July 18, 19 and 20.

The team has earned the right to represent Quebec in the eastern conference in Nova Scotia on August 21 to 24.

The Lions will take on teams in their level from the Atlantic Provinces and Ontario.

After five years coaching regional girls’ softball, this will be Pouliot’s first time making it all the way to the finals.

“It’s a great feeling and the team is so excited,” he said. The players - Samantha Kwok, Christina Godbout, Catherine Daigneault, Chloé Massicotte, Kristina Grubb, Laurence Ménard, Brigitte Pouliot, Katherine Morin, Stéphanie Sauvé, Roxanne Vallée, Christian Latreille and Bianca Rathe, - who are 15 and 16 years old, come from such towns as Vaudreuil-Dorion, St. Lazare, Coteau-du-Lac, and Rigaud.

Sounding like an Academy Award nominee, Pouliot says simply making it this far is the real achievement, especially for a team that took a while to warm up to each other.

“When we first got together at the beginning of the season, we had some girls from last year’s team, some new players and some who came up from the lower levels,” Pouliot recalled. “For a while it was pretty quiet on the bench.”

Pouliot and assistant coaches, Sylvain Massicotte and Jack Kwok, helped the girls gel by organizing some social events, while other out of town games and tournaments also helped with team chemistry.

Asked about his predictions for the coming matches, Pouliot said: “If we can medal, any medal, it would be just amazing.”

During the Île Perrot provincial finals, the Lions played four round robin games against teams from the South Shore, Laval, the Laurentians and Châteaugay to secure their place in the Nova Scotia tournament.

They shut out opposing teams in two games, while giving up just seven runs during two additional games.

The top two teams from each level go on to represent the province.

Meanwhile, the Lac St. Louis Intermediate AA girls’ softball team, comprised of players 20 years and older, will also represent Quebec in the Eastern Canadian Championships during the same weekend.

The Intermediate team won gold in their category during the provincial championships. Their tournament will be held in Quebec.

Front row: Samantha Kwok, Christina Godbout, Catherine Daigneault, Chloé Massicotte