A Montreal-Boston connection

MONTREAL - Long considered as the student and the teacher, respectively, when they were plying their trade together at Boston University, Sarah Lefort and Marie-Philip Poulin hope to remain a dominant force with Les Canadiennes de Montreal.

While Lefort and Poulin grew up in completely different areas of the province, with one hailing from Ormstown and the other from Beauceville, both took similar routes to get to where they are today. After tearing up the amateur ranks, they chose to leave the comforts of home to take the next step in their hockey careers. Poulin headed to Dawson College in Montreal before joining the Boston University Terriers in 2010, while Lefort spent a couple of years in the Eastern Townships at Stanstead College, before moving to Massachusetts as well two years later.
Poulin already had two years of NCAA experience under her belt when Lefort was starting out in Boston, so she welcomed her young teammate with open arms. And, a little bit like today in the Canadian Women's Hockey League, she quickly realized that Lefort would become an important part of their team going forward.
"When Sarah arrived in Boston, I took her under my wing. I had the chance to play with her and it went really well. She's really matured over the years," said Poulin, who is three years older than Lefort and served as the Terriers' captain in 2014-15. "She brings a lot of good things to a team, whether it's with her shot or her physicality on the ice. She brings a lot of energy, as much on the ice as off it."

The talented forwards became partners in every game situation at BU, and the best of friends away from the rink, too, and the impact they had on their team was incredible. In addition to helping the Terriers win three straight Hockey East titles, they gave opposing goaltenders nightmares by lighting up the scoresheet at a torrid pace. Poulin amassed 81 goals and 100 assists for 181 points during her collegiate career, which came to a close in 2015, but Lefort eventually surpassed her former linemate by two points the following year during her final season in Boston.
While she was pleased with the accomplishment, the rather quiet Lefort - just like Poulin was at the outset of her career - is humble when it comes to discussing her BU scoring record.
"Those numbers, I look at them in two ways. Yes, it's an honor to surpass them, but what a lot of people don't know is that Marie played less games than I did because of injuries or stints with Team Canada," stressed Lefort, who scored 92 goals and amassed 183 points with BU. "I definitely had a little more opportunity to beat those records and I'm happy with the way I performed in college. But, you just can't hide it: She's an amazing hockey player."
For her part, Poulin isn't bitter or resentful at all because Lefort bested her numbers with the Terriers.
"I was really happy [that she beat my records]. I've seen her play for a long time. She worked so hard. Seeing how she was able to get those records at Boston University makes me really proud of her. To have her here alongside me in Montreal is really fun," said the two-time Olympic gold medalist.
They've been reunited again in Montreal for a few months now, ever since Lefort was selected in the opening round of the CWHL Draft, and she was eager to see her former teammate again on a daily basis. The fact that there were a few familiar faces in the dressing room certainly facilitated Lefort's integration into the group, too.
Even though they've been playing on different lines since the start of the season, if the opportunity to join forces presented itself, Lefort definitely wouldn't turn it down.
"I was really looking forward to the start of the year. Being new on the team, there were a lot of girls that I didn't know before. But, I knew a few of them, like Marie-Philip, Caroline Ouellette and Charline Labonte, so I was a little less stressed when I came to camp," concluded Lefort, who boasts 10 points in 12 games with Les Canadiennes during the 2016-17 campaign. "I don't know if Sarah and I will play together this year, but I know her playing style and I always know where she is on the ice. Just being around her and training with her is really something."

To see Poulin, Lefort and the rest of Les Canadiennes at work at the Bell Centre on December 10, you can still purchase tickets by clicking HERE.