Adversity breeds greater hunger for gold in Lacasse

GENEVIÈVE LACASSE ICE HOCKEY
Age: 24
Local Club: N/A
# Olympics: First
Medal threat: 5 stars

By Brendan McConnell

There’s nothing quite like strapping on the pads, pulling on the jersey and seeing the maple leaf to make a hockey player reflect on their journey to reach that moment.

For Geneviève Lacasse, one of the goaltenders heading to Sochi for the Canadian women’s hockey team, these Olympic Winter Games are the summit of her rise through the ranks of international women’s hockey. There’s just one more step a tiny bit higher yet – winning a gold medal.

“The goal is to go out there and get a gold medal,” states the 24-year-old. “Whatever role I’m given, I just want to do my best and to do whatever it takes to get that gold medal.”

Come Feb. 7, Lacasse will join the rest of Team Canada at the opening ceremonies alongside women’s hockey legend and Canadian flag bearer Hayley Wickenheiser.

It’s been a long journey for Lacasse to reach the pinnacle of her sport – from her roots in the game when she was the designated goalie while playing shinny with her older brother’s friends in Kingston.

Part of a military family, Lacasse has lived in many different places during her life. When there aren’t national team duties in Calgary or a season to play in Boston, Lacasse will return to her current home in Limoges, where her father lives, and work out at Canadian Tire Centre.

Four years ago, she was not even on the radar to be named to Team Canada, let alone potentially be a starter at the Olympics.

Lacasse was never called up to play for Canada’s junior or under-23 national teams. Team Canada first took notice of her during her time playing for Providence College, which eventually led her down the road to play for the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, where she was a championship and top goalie honours.

Lacasse started her first game wearing the maple leaf against Team USA at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, where she went on to stop 21 shots and lead Canada to a 4-2 over their arch-rivals. She also played in Canada’s final Sochi send-off game at the Air Canada Centre, a 3-2 defeat to the U.S.

“Playing that game in Toronto in front of 17,000 people was just an amazing experience,” recalls Lacasse, the youngest goaltender of Canada’s three, and only one to be making her Olympic debut. “I keep reminding myself that not many people get the chance to experience this so I should just have fun with it.”

Lacasse’s long road to Sochi will soon be coming to a head with the first drop of the puck on Feb. 8. Apart from the serious training that accompanies every Olympic year, Lacasse and Team Canada have also had to overcome an abrupt coaching shift, following Dan Church’s resignation just a few months outside the Games.

“It was something that was out of our control so we had to adapt and just kind of roll with it,” Lacasse highlights. “I think we responded really well.”

That’s good news for Canadian hockey fans nationwide, but perhaps not for arch-rival Team USA. There’s nothing like a little adversity to summon a great Canadian Olympic effort, after all, she maintains.

While Lacasse has good friends on the Blades who also play for USA, she remains adamant that come puck drop, the gold medal is the only friend any of them will want to have.

“Off the ice, the girls are friends,” Lacasse notes. “But when we get on the ice and put that jersey on, it’s war.”

MESSAGE TO ASPIRING OLYMPIANS:
“You don’t necessarily need to be the best at a young age, you just have to have fun, work hard and eventually you will become the best.”

SCHEDULE
Sat., Feb. 8
CAN vs SUI
8 a.m. ET

Mon., Feb. 10
CAN vs FIN
10 a.m. ET

Wed., Feb. 12
CAN vs USA
7:30 a.m. ET

Sun., Feb. 17
Semi-Finals
7:30 & noon ET

Thu., Feb. 20
Bronze & Gold Medal Match
7 a.m. & noon ET

—with files from Dan Plouffe