Image of the team provided by Melissa Boulanger

Every season the Olympiens go in with one goal – to take home the championship. 

The Glenlawn Lions were at the top of their division in the Manitoba Women's High School Hockey League with a 21-1-0 record but were upset by the Collège Jeanne-Sauvé (CJS) Olympiens in the championship series.  

In December, the Olympiens traveled to Toronto for a high school hockey tournament. This allowed for the girls to bond and the coaches to get to know their players better. 

“The last few seasons we lost in the semis, so the group of girls that were returning were determined to get past that stage and make it to the finals,” said coach Melissa Boulanger, a CJS alumni herself (2013) and former CJS player.  

The team battled all sorts of adversity this season - illness, other sports conflicts, and injuries. They persevered and found a way to have success throughout the season. Those moments helped build mental toughness going into the final. 

“We treated this series like any other game,” said Boulanger. “(We) didn’t put pressure on ourselves. We knew that we could come out on top if we stuck to our game and played as a team.”   

The championship series began on March 18, with the Lions defeating the Olympiens — who went 14-7-0 this season and came in as underdogs — 4-1 at Seven Oaks Arena to take a 1-0 series lead.   

The team supported each other every moment they could: On the ice, on the bench, and in the dressing room. 

“The girls had an energy the last two games that was unlike any other game this season,” said coach Dom Beaudet, also a CJS alumni (2019) and former CJS player. “They stepped up when it mattered the most and never gave up.” 

In a do-or-die Game 2 for the Olympiens, they beat the Lions 3-2 to stay alive. Game 3 was anyone's game for the taking, but the Olympiens completed the upset with a shutout, winning 2-0, to take the championship.  

“We played this season, the playoffs, and especially the finals as a team,” said goalie Céleste Pelletier.   

The winning moment was surreal with the team experiencing overwhelming emotion. When the final buzzer went off, the team celebrated alongside their coaches.  

“I’m obviously very happy with the final result of our season, there was no better way to end my last year as an Olympien,” said forward Payton Durand. “I’m extremely proud of my teammates and how we came together at the end.”  

Durand has won two championships during her time with CJS hockey.   

“Getting to play with these girls and watch all our hard work pay off was the best way I could possibly end my high school hockey career,” said Durand.  

This championship series was the team’s fourth appearance and third win (2012 loss; 2016 win, 2022 win; and 2025 win).   

Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) Represents Well in the Division 1 Top 25 MWHSHL Stars   

Delainey and Vayda Rigaux are identical twin sisters who led the Lions and the division in points for the second season in a row. Delainey, a forward, is in first with 53 points (34 goals and 19 assists), and Vayda, a defender, is in second with 48 points (23 goals and 25 assists.)     

Forwards Chloe Minkus (35 points) and Jessie DeCraene (14 points) from the Lions are also represented in the division's top 25, ranked fifth and 25th, respectively. 

Forward Payton Durand from the Olympiens ranked sixth with 31 points (27 goals and four assists).   

As for the goalie rankings, the Olympiens' Céleste Pelletier ranked first with a 14-6-0 record. The netminder posted a 1.09 goals-against average, .951 save percentage, nine shutouts, and 429 saves in 20 starts. Pelletier is pretty much unbeatable.   

Lions' goaltender Jovi Wozny is ranked the number two goalie in the division. The netminder recorded a 16-1-0 record, 1.59 goals against average, .937 save percentage, four shutouts, and 400 saves in 17 starts.  

LRSD is proud of each player and looks forward to what next season will bring.