St-Pierre, McLean, and Lachapelle at the Provincial Championships. Photo provided.
In the weeks before Thanksgiving Break, three Northwood girls’ hockey players were away from campus for a very special reason: they were selected to play for their Canadian provincial national teams. Loelie Lachapelle ’26 and Penelope St-Pierre ’27 represented Team Québec, while Summer MacLean ’28 represented Team Atlantic.
The annual tournament brings together the best young female players across Canada, offering a chance to showcase their skills on a national stage. For these Northwood athletes, it was not only an opportunity to compete at a high level but also to represent their provinces—and the school—with pride.
“This was definitely a life-changing experience. I was one of the younger girls on the team, which scared me at first, but once I got to know everyone, I really liked the team and we all clicked fast,” said MacLean. MacLean’s team not only made it to the final game, but it was also the first time in history that Team Atlantic had ever reached the championship. “Being a part of a team where we were able to make history is something I’ll never forget. And for the final, since it was in Newfoundland, we had a lot of fans who were really rooting for us to win. Since it was technically our home ice, it was really loud in there—and I loved it,” she added. MacLean and her team finished the tournament with silver medals.
“Winning gold in this tournament after participating for three years in a row and coming up short with a silver medal was surreal. Being able to represent my province and make history was one of my biggest goals, and I finally made it come true,” said Lachapelle, who has been at Northwood for three years and has represented Québec at this tournament each year. “Not only did I win a gold medal, but I also found a second family. My teammates and coaches were always there. When I was going through a rough day, they were going through a rough day. Everyone was a part of a puzzle, and it was what made us so successful in the end. I cannot put into words how proud I am of every single player on my team, and I truly am grateful for the experience.”
“From the very start of the tournament, I could tell we had a winning team,” said St-Pierre. “There was definitely a lot of pressure on me with it being my first time attending this tournament, and because the team had lost in the finals the past two years in a row. That made the feeling of winning even better, and I hope that next year I get invited back and we can bring home the championship again.” She added, “Northwood prepared me well for this tournament, and although this was a life-changing experience, I missed Northwood and am ready to be back and play some Husky hockey.”
These three girls continue to represent the Northwood name with pride.
