This weekend, the Pionniers de Soulanges took part in a tournament held on the south shore of Montréal, in Beloeil. The Vaudreuil-Soulanges team took on La Découverte, the top-ranked team in the LHPS division. 

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In front of a large number of fans who had made the trip in treacherous weather conditions, the Pionniers faced the La Découverte high school sports team in the tournament's curtain-raiser.

Opponents scored early in both the first and second periods. The Pioneers didn't give up, however, and redoubled their efforts to make it 2-1 with an unassisted goal from Nathan Giroux. With 1:30 to go in the 3rd period, Xavier Thauvette scored on an assist from Lukas Lalonde. The title of persevering player of the game went to number 54, Maxendre Lefebvre. Having delivered an almost flawless performance, it was goalkeeper Joah Leblanc, wearing number 1, who was voted player of the match. 

That same evening, at 8:20 p.m., the Pionniers took to the ice once again to face École secondaire Du Rochers.

A place in the semi-finals 

The U15 Pionniers, playing their last game of the preliminary round at the Tournoi de Beloeil, secured a place in the semi-finals by beating their opponents 5-2. 

After a difficult start, goalkeeper Daphné Dupuy kept her team in the game. At the end of the 2nd intermission, the home team never looked back, blackening the score sheet with three consecutive goals. 

Young Édouard, the team's godfather and new good luck charm, awarded player of the match to Lukas Lalonde, scorer of two goals for his team. The title of persevering player went to Isaack Lemay, who was effective in the forecheck thanks to his big frame, according to the coaches. 

En route to the final 

Emotions ran high as the Pionniers battled for the last available spot in the tournament final. After an inspiring performance at the start of the tournament, head coach Charles Villemaire opted to start Joah Leblanc in front of the net for this all-important game.

The Pionniers didn't change their recipe for success, getting off to a slow start in the first two periods. With the ice still fresh, the Pionniers scored their first goal of the game through Lukas Lalonde.

Nerves were palpable among the Soulange fans as Xavier Thauvette tied the game late in the third period. The last available spot for the final game would then go to 4-on-4 overtime, with Louka Maheux playing the hero to secure his team's place in the final. 

The latter praised the qualities of his team-mates after the match. " We're a united team, and each of us in our own way is willing to make sacrifices for the good of the team. This victory is the fruit of a lot of hard work since we entered the program in Secondary 1. "

For his part, #91 Edja Leduc was chosen as player of the match. On the same day, at 6 p.m., the Pionniers met up with La Découverte for the decisive match. 

In the first period, indiscipline cost the home team dearly as they saw their opponents take a 4-0 lead. In the second period, La Découverte added two goals to their lead, including one on the power play. 

Despite a much better 3rd-period effort from the Pionniers and a few scoring chances, the Vaudreuil-Soulanges team had to concede defeat by a score of 6-0, and will take home a finalist banner from this emotionally-charged tournament.